Lovers of the Divine Lion
by Stony Knight
Summary: COMPLETE: When Bagoas is attacked, an unlikely rescuer turns into a more unlikely friend.
1. Perfection Stained

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** Perfection Stained

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** So this is the rewritten version of the original Lovers of the Divine Lion that I posted. I've made numerous changes, the most notable in the dialogue. As for my character inspirations, Bagoas is based more on the Mary Renault version of the character while Hephaestion is based primarily on Oliver Stone's interpretation of the man. However, this doesn't mean I haven't thrown in my own interpretive flavor.

**Warnings:** Well, this story is primarily centered on Bagoas and him recovering from being raped, so that will be mentioned quite a bit. Also there's the whole boyXboy homosexuality thing, but I'm not sure how a person can be homophobic and an Alexander fan at the same time, so…

**Disclaimer:** I do not own either the books or the movie created by the people mentioned in the above A/N.

* * *

Bagoas gasped and then bit his tongue to withhold a scream as pain seared up his spine. The men around him laughed as their comrade pounded into his slim, graceful body, stealing that which belonged only to the Great King. He wanted to fight back, to slaughter these cruel, insolent Macedonians who scorned his people and took for granted the kindnesses Alexander had bestowed upon them. But there were too many for one untrained youth to take on alone, and their constant, restless shifting made it impossible to keep track of them all from his current position face down on the ground. He could no more escape from the situation than he could fight them off.

Bagoas had been on his way back from the bazaar when the group of young soldiers had assailed him and dragged him to a seclude copse of evergreen trees outside of town. The eunuch had immediately recognized several of them as loyal men serving under the command of a few of the most stubborn of the Macedonians who scorned his people and rebelled against adopting any Persian customs. He had known that this gang's intentions boded ill for him from the first, but he had not dared to believe that they would even consider doing this to him, being as close to the Great King as he was.

Bagoas tried his best to keep silent during the ordeal, not wanting to give these insolent whelps the satisfaction of hearing him scream or call for help. No one would hear his cries anyway. The young soldiers had chosen this grove of trees specifically for its distance from the populated regions of the small, fortified city. They talked and laughed as they took turns violating him, speaking in their unrefined Macedonian language that hardly resembled the beautiful Greek Alexander uttered so eloquently when at dinners or meetings.

Bagoas struggled to blank out his senses from recognizing anything going on around him, but the harder he tried, the more pronounced the pains in his body seemed to become. Blood slipped along his back and torso from numerous bite marks and gouges from fingernails. A few of the men had taken their small eating knives to his soft skin and carved their marks, though few knew how to read or write proper Greek letters. The gang had beaten him before starting their other fun, and a numbness in his left arm suggested to Bagoas that his shoulder had been dislocated during the rough scuffling. As a new man began moving behind the eunuch for his turn with him, the young Persian decided with a rather detached mind that he would rather go through the cruelness of his castration again than suffer this. At least the process of gelding a boy went by with relative quickness compared to the brutality of a gang rape.

After what seemed like hours, the soldiers were finally sated and tired. They left Bagoas abandoned in the shadows of the evergreens as the sun began to sink low on the horizon. The eunuch tried to move, to rise to his feet so he could stumble back to his room within the king house in the city, but his body refused to obey him. He struggled to right his torn robes and trousers, thinking that at least when someone discovered his lifeless body he would be able to retain a miniscule shred of his dignity. With the night chill descending over the lands, Bagoas finally allowed himself to slip into blessed unconsciousness, mourning the thought that he would never wake again to see his beloved king's beautiful face.

* * *

When awareness eventually returned to Bagoas, he found no comfort in it. His body was stiff with cold and painfully sore from the brutal rape. A cool dampness between his thighs let him know he had continued to bleed out for most of the night, and he was lucky death had not claimed him yet. With great effort the youth tried to flex his muscles but found he could move even less now than when the soldiers had left him. Trickles of warmth alerted Bagoas to the fact that he had reopened several of his wounds in the process of trying to rise.

The Persian eunuch glanced about him as best he could, trying to determine what exactly had roused him from unconsciousness. Morning had come to the grove, but the sun had barely begun to burn away the night chill. It could not have been the dawn by itself that had pulled him out of the darkness. Bagoas held his rasping breath in order to listen for anything that moved beyond his line of sight. The impatient stamping of a horse barely reached him from where the beast stood beyond the edge of the trees. Closer to his position, he heard a brittle branch snap under the weight of someone's footstep. He tried to turn his head in the direction of the sound, half fearing one of his assailants had returned for another round with him, but once again, his body was too pained to obey his mind's command.

A breath sounded from behind him, resembling something of a strangled gasp. Then Bagoas felt a woolen cloak being draped over him. It possessed a familiar scent he couldn't quite place along with a weaker smell that could only belong to Alexander. For a moment it brought him comfort, until the eunuch's rescuer turned him over to lift him from the ground.

With a harsh cry that was half pain and half fear, Bagoas found himself face to face with Hephaestion, his greatest rival in the battle for Alexander's love. How many times had he wished death upon this handsome general? How often had he longed to kill him? Bagoas couldn't even begin to count, and he was positive that Hephaestion had similar thoughts in regards to him. Suddenly, Bagoas felt sure he was staring into the face of his executioner, not his rescuer. It would be easy for Hephaestion to get away with murdering him considering the state of his broken body. Who would be able to accuse the general of inflicting the fatal wound to him when so many others had already been mete out upon his flesh?

But then the eunuch actually looked at Hephaestion's face, and he was surprised at what he found there. Instead of hatred or contempt, Bagoas only saw a deep concern coupled with a tightly-checked grief. The general seemed to be on the brink of tears and anger, but he held in his emotions for now, knowing they would distract him from action. Hephaestion gathered the eunuch's battered body against his broad, powerful chest and pulled the warm woolen cloak more securely about his small form.

"Who did this to you, Bagoas?" the general's voice caressed his ears and soothed his fears. The eunuch struggled to rasp out his answer, but Hephaestion halted his words, realizing the youth was badly dehydrated.

"No, Bagoas, never mind for now. Let us tend to your body first, and then you can tell Alexander and me who did this to you."

"No!" the young Persian rasped, cringing and groaning as a wave of pain washed over his suddenly-tense body. "Don't let him see me like this! He'll send me away if he does!"

Bagoas remembered his time in service to Darius, and how the Persian king had rejected anything that he determined to have even the smallest flaw. The youth had always taken great care to avoid injuries that could leave marks on his body, fearing the late king would dismiss him. Bagoas did not want Alexander to see him battered as he was, thinking that the Macedonian king would decide to send him away because of it. How would he survive separated from Alexander? He would rather die than become a common prostitute on the streets of some city. And without Alexander's affections, Bagoas knew his life would be rendered meaningless; he would have no reason to live.

"Relax, Bagoas. Alexander won't send you away because of this. You have nothing to worry about, little one," Hephaestion stroked the dark, silken hair with gentle fingers, seeing the fear playing across the eunuch's face .He wanted, needed to alleviate it. It took some long moments before Bagoas calmed down again. "If it will make you feel better, I'll take you to my rooms and tend to you there. But truly, you have nothing to fear, Bagoas. Do you not realize how important you are to both Alexander and me?"

Bagoas shook his head but did not protest again. The pain and stiffness in his body made itself known once more now that the adrenaline of his panic had left him. Hephaestion climbed to his feet with care, making sure not to jostle the eunuch as he carried him back to his waiting horse. The general quickly recognized that the young Persian would not be able to ride even the short distance into the city due to the severity and placement of his wounds. Without a second thought, Hephaestion began walking towards the king house, deciding it would be easiest to carry Bagoas to his rooms himself.

As he walked, the general informed Bagoas that Alexander had become deeply concerned when he failed to show up at dinner or the king's chambers the previous night. The Macedonian ruler had cut the evening drinking short and had begun searching for the eunuch in the dark of midnight, but the deep shadows and moonless sky had rendered all efforts futile. The king had begun again in the grey half-light of false dawn that morning and was only-the-gods-knew-where at the moment, still searching for his little, Persian lover. Bagoas was surprised that Alexander would be out there himself searching for him.

Upon arriving at his rooms, Hephaestion barked orders to prepare a bath to his servants as he gently settled Bagoas on a couch. The eunuch batted at the man's hands when he tried to help the youth out of his torn and soiled clothing, causing Hephaestion to sit back on his heels with a huff.

"Bagoas, you can barely move. You need a doctor to examine you, and a bath will help you warm up after being outside all night. You're still shivering with cold," the general managed to keep his voice soft and soothing, although he could feel his temper rising as the extent of Bagoas's injuries became clearer to him. "Please, let me help you undress."

"No," the eunuch rasped, shoving Hephaestion's hands away for a second time. "And no doctors."

"Bagoas, it's not an option. Your wounds need tending, and I don't have the necessary knowledge to deal with this type of thing," the general pleaded as he took hold of the youth's frigid hands. He stared deeply into the dark eyes of the Persian, willing him to cooperate.

"You think your army doctors will understand this any better? I'm not a soldier, Hephaestion, and these aren't battle wounds!" Bagoas's strained voice hissed in anger as unbidden tears slipped down his bruised face.

"I know, Bagoas. Only the gods know how much I know this," the general kissed the cold fingers held between his hands, trying to warm them with his breath. "But please, you need medical care. Bagoas!"

The eunuch refused to meet the man's eyes for an endless, agonizing moment. Hephaestion feared that the youth would reject his help again, but finally Bagoas looked at him and nodded. With more care than he would show even to a newborn babe, Hephaestion gently eased away the tattered robes and trousers. The man couldn't hold back his sob when he finally saw exactly what had happened to the poor youth. Bagoas tensed when the general gathered his injured form into his arms again, but the eunuch soon found himself nuzzling into the man's warm, protective body, finally realizing just how cold and frightened he truly was.

Once Hephaestion gained control over his tears, he cautiously stood up, lifting Bagoas from the couch. By this time, the servants had finished preparing the bath, and Hephaestion dismissed them. The man carried the youth into the next room and placed the eunuch in the warm waters of the tub with utmost care. He helped Bagoas to wash his battered body, and upon discovering his dislocated shoulder, Hephaestion carefully maneuvered the Persian's arm until the joint was once again properly set together. Bagoas found himself surprised at how easily and gently the man had managed to reset his shoulder, but the other shrugged off his questions about it, saying it was something he learned growing up with a reckless and adventurous Alexander.

As Bagoas finished his bath, he wished he could get Hephaestion to keep talking about his youth with Alexander, or any other topic would be welcomed as well. He needed something to distract his mind from the soreness that clung to his body like a wet garment and the memories of the previous day. But the general wouldn't allow it.

"Bagoas, I'm going to send for a doctor now," Hephaestion had waited to get the Persian settled in his bed before bringing up the topic again.

"No, none of your stupid army doctors," Bagoas's voice was stronger since the general had given him some drinking water while he let his body soak in the heat of the bath, but that didn't mean he was going to win this argument.

"You need to be examined," Hephaestion's tone made it clear that there was no way he would back down from the issue. "Unless you have someone in mind, it will have to be one of the army doctors."

Hephaestion felt surprised at the hint of hope and relief he saw in the eunuch's eyes.

"This city is the home of a Persian satrap," Bagoas whispered, "a satrap who is known for keeping a rather extensive harem. His chief eunuch will know of someone better suited for tending me than one of your army doctors."

Giving a nod, Hephaestion left the bedroom long enough to summon a servant to find the satrap and his eunuch. He also sent a second servant to locate Alexander and inform him that Bagoas had been found. The general then reentered the room and sat down in a chair next to where the young Persian was curled up in his bed.

"You could have said something sooner," Hephaestion reached over to run his fingers soothingly through Bagoas's silken hair. "Did you honestly think I would have insisted one of our doctors examine you if there is someone better suited for the task?"

"I'm sorry, Hephaestion," exhaustion thickened the youth's whispered apology.

"Don't apologize. You have done nothing to be sorry about, little one," the general sighed as tears threatened his eyes again. "Sleep now. You need it."

* * *

**End A/N:** I hope you've enjoyed reading the rewritten version of Lovers of the Divine Lion. I would appreciate any reviews, even the negative ones! And comments from individuals who have read both versions of the story would be particularly helpful.

Thanks! ~ Stony Knight


	2. The Teacher's Healing

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** The Teacher's Healing

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** So in this chapter I'll be introducing one of Mary Renault's characters as a predominant character in this story. I've reworked him quite a bit, so anyone who is familiar with him, I'm warning you now that he's highly out of character at the moment. I hope to fix that later (okay, much later on) in the story.

**Warnings:** Nothing new has been added since chapter one; talk of rape and homosexuality.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

Waking up for a second time that morning, Bagoas needed a moment to identify his surroundings. He found himself still snuggled warmly in Hephaestion's bed, but the general was nowhere in sight. After listening for a moment, he recognized the voice of the missing man emanating from the front room of his suite along with two other voices. The talk was rapid and stressed, leading Bagoas to believe the three were arguing despite the fact that he couldn't make out their words. One of the second voices clearly belonged to Alexander, and the young Persian felt his body twinge and tense with anxiety over having the king see him so badly bruised and battered.

A few minutes passed before the argument came to an abrupt halt and the door to the bedroom opened to reveal Hephaestion. Behind the general stood a man that Bagoas didn't recognize, and looking over the stranger's shoulder was a clearly distraught and angry Alexander. There was a fourth individual behind the king, but Bagoas only noted a hint of his form before pulling the blankets over his head with a plaintive cry of 'Go away!'

"He's afraid, Alexander, and he doesn't want you seeing him right now," Hephaestion addressed the king in a tone full of stress and weariness. "Please, I know you're worried, but it will be better if you wait until he's ready."

Shuffling sounded from just beyond the door before footsteps came up to the edge of the bed.

"Bagoas, I just want you to know that it doesn't matter what's happened. I love you, and I'll always love you," the young Persian could hear tears in the king's voice, but he refused to emerge from the blankets. A hand settled on his shoulder for a moment before Alexander turned and left the room.

Hephaestion stepped forward after the king left the suite and placed his own hand on the eunuch's blanketed shoulder, "He's gone, Bagoas, and the chief eunuch and his healer are here."

The youth stayed hidden for another moment before lifting away the woolen bedding from his head. Peering nervously towards the doorway, he took note of the stranger again before glancing at the man behind him. Bagoas felt his breath catch in his throat, recognizing the other man.

"Oh, dear Gazelle-Eyes, I had hoped we might one day meet again, but I never wished it to be like this," the dark-eyed man stepped up beside the bed and sat on its edge, offering his hands to Bagoas.

"It is better to have you here, Oromedon, than some stranger," the young eunuch grasped at his old mentor's wrists as tears threatened his eyes. "You were always good to me. If anyone can help me get through this…"

"Well then it's a good thing that I felt compelled to learn the healing arts once King Darius dismissed me," Oromedon gave Bagoas a gentle, caring smile. "Hephaestion has explained some of what has happened to you as far as he knows. Hopefully I'll be able to help you learn to smile again, Gazelle-Eyes, for seeing you so saddened and burdened is truly heartbreaking."

"Breaking hearts is the only lesson you said you never had to teach me," Bagoas struggled to hold back his tears as he remembered the too few beautiful days he had spent learning the arts of love from this breathtaking man. Now he wondered if he would ever have the courage to put those lessons to use again.

"It's alright to cry, love," Oromedon soothed. "You know your pride is safe with me. I won't think less of you for it."

The elder eunuch helped Bagoas to sit up slightly so that the youth could weep into his shoulder. After a moment's observation and consideration, Hephaestion headed for the doorway, beckoning the local satrap's chief eunuch to follow him.

"If you need anything, Oromedon, feel free to request one of my servants to get it for you," the general announced softly, feeling a small pang of guilt and jealousy at how easily the older eunuch had gained Bagoas's trust. "I'll be in Alexander's rooms if you need me."

Hephaestion left then, the chief eunuch shutting the doors as he trailed after the handsome general. Oromedon sat silently with Bagoas for a long time before gently shifting the youth back from his chest. He wiped away the younger eunuch's tears with the edge of his silk sleeve and gave him another soft smile.

"Come now, Bagoas, and let me examine you," Oromedon's whispered words sent a fearful, nervous shiver down the younger eunuch's spine, but he nodded his acceptance.

Standing up from his seat on the bed, Oromedon pulled back the blankets with an elegant sweep of his arm, exposing the young Persian's battered body to the midmorning light. The elder eunuch bit back a startled gasp, not having expected his young friend to have been so badly bruised and marred.

"Dear gods, Gazelle-Eyes, what did they do to you? Who would dare do such things?"

"It was a group of Macedonian soldiers. They have only hatred for our people in their hearts, and they take for granted what the Great King Al'skander gives to them," Bagoas shifted onto his back and turned his face away from Oromedon, trying to detach himself from the memories of the previous day. He knew that his former mentor would have to ask him more questions about his attack and rape, but thinking about the ordeal made him feel as though he were suffocating. For the second time in as many days, he decided that castration had been easier than this and told Oromedon as much.

"It may feel that way right now, Gazelle-Eyes, but that's because the wounds to your heart and soul are still so fresh," the elder eunuch ran comforting fingers through the other's silken hair. "You've always had such a great pride in you, and now it's been cut much deeper than you ever thought possible. But it'll heal, Bagoas. You'll heal. Yes, there'll be scars from this, but I don't think you're the type who'll be worse for it."

"How can you say that?" Bagoas turned on him with a hiss. "Did you want this sort of thing to happen to me? What, were you jealous Darius dismissed you and then made you train me in your stead?"

"Never, Bagoas! I never meant it to sound that way!" Oromedon held out pleading hands to the younger eunuch. "It's just… Bagoas, you're stronger than you think. You'll get through this. Not everyone would be able to do so, but your pride will see you through this. I promise you that."

Bagoas gave the elder eunuch a warning glare before settling himself comfortably on his back once again, allowing Oromedon to examine him. His former mentor ran gentle hands over his chest and abdomen, checking for hidden injuries such as cracked ribs or bruised organs. The young Persian was lucky; there were no deeper wounds than those that left visible marks on his skin. He had a few deep bruises to his back and slight sprains to his left wrist and right knee, but he had suffered no broken bones.

Finished with the majority of the examination, Oromedon hesitated before moving on.

"Gazelle-Eyes, I need to check between your legs now," the elder eunuch's whisper was barely audible. Bagoas stared into his former mentor's eyes for a long, painful moment before obediently raising his knees and spreading his legs.

Oromedon pressed a gentle, loving kiss to the youth's closer kneecap before turning his attention back to the final part of the exam. Bagoas refused to look anywhere but the ceiling during this last part, giving a heartbreaking whimper when his beloved mentor checked him for bleeding. Finding nothing that worried him overly much, Oromedon shut Bagoas's knees together and pressed an additional kiss to each kneecap.

"It's over now, Gazelle-Eyes," the handsome eunuch pulled the blankets back over his former student with well-practiced grace. "I'll bring you some ointments to help in your healing after lunch, but for right now, you should rest. You should be fine."

"Will you stay with me?" Bagoas begged with a child-like tone.

"I should go talk to Hephaestion and the Great King first, but if you wish for me to return, I will."

"I want you to come back, and please tell Al'skander that I'm sorry," the younger eunuch turned onto his side, tears once again running down his face. Oromedon fetched him a glass of water before heading for the door.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Gazelle-Eyes. Why do you want me to tell the king that you're sorry?"

"Because he wants to see me, but I'm afraid to let him right now. I don't want him to see me all bruised and cut up like this."

"I'll tell him, then, but you still have nothing to apologize for, beloved."

Oromedon slipped from the room without giving Bagoas time to say anything else and headed for the king's quarters, his heart aching for the sweet youth who had been forced to grow up much too fast.

* * *

Oromedon found the king and his general speaking with two others within the royal chambers. The eunuch easily recognized one of the strangers as Oxathres, Darius's brother. The other man was introduced to him as Ptolemy, one of Alexander's most trusted Companions and a close friend.

"How is he?" Alexander demanded to know almost immediately, worry marring his handsome features with age he did not possess.

"It is promising that he survived the night, but I fear the danger is not over for him quite yet," Oromedon admitted with nervousness. He had never dealt with Alexander before this. Although this Macedonian king had a reputation for kindness, he had seen too many examples of pain and death bestowed upon messengers of bad news. Yet being truthful was still better than lying to men in power. "None of the wounds to his body are all that severe, but he has been torn from the rough use of his attackers. It is easy for such an injury to turn poisonous and bring a killing fever. It will need to be thoroughly cleansed several times a day, but due to the nature of how he received such a wound…"

Oromedon trailed off, knowing he did not need to say anything else about it. He kept his head bowed, eyes on the floor with his hands clasped in front of him. He feared to look upon the king, not wanting to know what his reaction would be to such news. The eunuch waited nervously for the physical pain of a blow or shouted orders for his death, but neither came.

"How long will it take for us to know whether he's safe or not?" Alexander's voice grew strained as if he were speaking through tears. Oromedon dared a quick glance at the king, seated in a cushioned chair, and found the man to indeed be weeping openly.

"The next few days will tell us. Despite the severity of his wounds, I am hopeful. Bagoas has always been a strong individual."

Alexander sat in silence for a moment, taking time to gather control over his rising anger over what had been done to his beloved friend. Releasing such emotions here and now would serve no purpose. None of the men gathered could do anything to reverse the situation, and yelling at them would accomplish nothing. Later, when they had devised a way to deal out justice, his anger could be put to constructive use.

"If there is nothing else you think I need to know at this time, then you may go," Alexander finally addressed Oromedon again with a weary voice.

"Bagoas wanted me to tell you that he is sorry about keeping you away for the time being. He does not want you to see him so marred with bruises and wounds."

"Thank you, Oromedon, but tell him his worries are unnecessary. The beauty he possesses is not something that can be destroyed by wounds to the flesh," Alexander shook his head. "Does he honestly think that I would think less of him because of what has happened?"

"That, I would say, is my late brother's fault, Great King," Oxathres spoke with a sigh. "He would never accept anything less than perfection from his possessions."

"I gave Bagoas his freedom. He is not my possession, and he knows it," Alexander replied. "No, this is something deeper than that, I think."

Oromedon had speculations about the situation, but he felt that speaking such thoughts would be overstepping his bounds. With a respectful bow to the king, he turned and left the room. Bagoas awaited his return, so he willing left his betters to their discussion.

"If only it had not been Macedonians who committed this atrocity!" Alexander finally let a bit of his anger slip, his fingers gripping hard on the arms of his chair until his skin turned white.

"I am sorry, Great King, but I do not understand where the problem with this lies," Oxathres found himself at a loss. "These soldiers have stolen from you, have they not? Why do you think it beyond your power to punish them?"

"Macedonians committed the crime, and therefore will have to be punished by Macedonian laws, particularly if I am the one who will be bringing charges against them. Our people do not keep harems as your people do. And none of them would ever consider Bagoas as having the same protections as a concubine, especially since I gave him his freedom," as a sense of helplessness settled over him, Alexander felt his previous anger slip away to be replaced by grief. "I doubt they would give him the rights of a squire either."

"Even if they did, I doubt it would help the situation much," Ptolemy added. "It did nothing to help Pausanius."

"My father, in one of his bouts of drunken stupidity, gave Pausanius to Attalas and his friends. I have done no such thing to Bagoas," Alexander growled.

"That's quite true, Alexander, and I might be able to do something with that," Ptolemy sat back in his own chair, a thoughtful look overtaking his eyes. "You and Hephaestion take care of your little eunuch. Let me worry about the legal work for now."

* * *

Bagoas dozed as he waited for his former mentor to return. Memories of his time with the commanding yet warm man floated through his half-conscious brain, reminding him of a brief, happier time in his life when thoughts of kings and armies and battles were the farthest things from his mind.

Eventually, the young Persian heard the creak of the doors and felt the bed shift as Oromedon returned to his side. His former mentor ran his long, elegant fingers through the youth's dark hair once more, offering comfort without words for a moment while he thought.

"The king wanted me to tell you that he feels your worries are not needed and that your beauty cannot be marred by bodily injuries," the elder eunuch gave his free hand to Bagoas to hold. The youth gave a tired sigh as he entwined their fingers.

"Al'skander has always been more than kind to me. He says he loves me, but sometimes I find it hard to believe such a man as a king could ever feel anything more than appreciation for the skills that our kind learn."

"Why these self-doubts, Gazelle-Eyes? From his talk, I find it completely impossible to believe that the Great King would take you for granted or make you feel less than human," Oromedon felt his chest tightening again at Bagoas's words.

"It is true that Al'skander has never made me feel unwanted in any way, but these Greeks and Macedonians do not know what to do with a eunuch. We are something that exists outside of their understanding of the world, and I fear this incident may leave the king believing it would be safer for me to be left behind when he next moves on with his army. It would break my heart."

"You've grown so much since we last saw each other," Oromedon whispered. "And you've come so far, Gazelle-Eyes. I don't think the king could stand to leave you behind. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"I worried for you when we left Susa with Darius, and again when I heard that Al'skander had entered the city," Bagoas's sleepy voice replied, changing the subject to a less painful topic. "My worries for you seem to have been unnecessary though. Time appears to have stood still for you, I think, because you are just as handsome and wondrous as when I first laid eyes upon you."

"Sweet Gazelle-Eyes," Oromedon sighed, appreciating his former student's thoughtful words. He had recognized the kindness in Bagoas's heart early on, demonstrated by his eagerness to please. To see the younger eunuch now so badly mistreated, particularly by men who had no claim to him, brought a deep anger and distress to Oromedon's heart that he couldn't even begin to express.

"Hold me?" Bagoas's shy voice broke into the man's thoughts. The older eunuch stared down at his young friend for a moment before slipping beneath the blankets beside him and gathering the battered body into his arms.

Bagoas sighed, snuggling closer to his trusted mentor, "Thank you, Oromedon. You've always made me feel safe."

* * *

**End A/N:** Again, thank you for reading. I hope you'll leave a review or a comment. (And yes, even the negative ones are appreciated!)

~ Stony Knight


	3. Life Gained and Time Lost

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** Life Gained and Time Lost

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** Um, even I kinda hate me for what I've done to poor Bagoas in this chapter, but he does get a little revenge on Hephaestion for it. (And no, there's nothing amusing about this storyline, I just wanted to try and give you a laugh before you get into the depressing stuff…)

**Warnings:** Well, mental distress for one very ill, very delirious eunuch who can't treat his wounds himself. Nothing else new to add to the warnings from chapter one; talk of rape and homosexuality.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

Hephaestion struggled to hold Bagoas still without hurting him as Oromedon applied his healing ointment between the youth's legs. The young eunuch had indeed developed a fever the next morning after he had been found and was now delirious with the heat raging through his body. As the elder eunuch had prescribed, they had been trying their best to keep his torn flesh clean, but the fever left Bagoas disoriented and fearing anyone who touched him. Three days had passed since the fever had started, and although it left his caregivers frightened, Bagoas seemed to be weathering the illness with remarkable strength.

Despite his distress over seeing the young Persian so sick, Alexander was partially grateful for the fever. In his delirium, Bagoas could not tell one person from the next, no matter how familiar he was with the individual, and this had given the king the opportunity to assist in caring for his beloved eunuch. Over the course of the past several days, Alexander had memorized every bite mark, bruise, and cut that had been inflicted on Bagoas and had wept over each injury.

Hephaestion yelped as Bagoas unexpectedly twisted his neck and bit down on his upper arm. Oromedon jerked his head up from his task only to have the man growl at him.

"Just hurry up and get finished," the general said through clenched teeth, refusing to loosen his grip on the thrashing youth in his arms. Oromedon quickly ducked his head again and completed his task.

"You can let up on him now," the elder eunuch announced as he slipped off the bed. The first time he had given Hephaestion permission to release Bagoas, the healer had not stood up and ended up receiving a black eye when his former student kicked out at him. Now Oromedon always made sure he was well out of reach of flailing limbs before pronouncing his work finished.

Hephaestion carefully rolled himself and Bagoas so that the eunuch was no longer on top of him. The general then pushed himself away from the bed, leaving the young Persian lying on his stomach. The youth continued to fight and cry out for a moment before he realized he had been freed. Bagoas then curled in on himself, shivering with fright as tears streamed down his face.

Hephaestion felt self-hatred well up in his heart for causing the young eunuch such fear and distress, but he understood it was a necessary evil. If Bagoas were not suffering from fever, he would have been able to tend to his own injuries rather than fight against his caregivers in his delirium. He hoped and prayed that the youth's fever would break soon.

"Hephaestion, you're bleeding," Oromedon's melodic voice broke into the general's solemn thoughts. The man glanced down at his bicep to discover blood oozing from the perfectly formed bite mark that Bagoas had left in his flesh.

Oromedon took hold of Hephaestion's opposite wrist and led the general into the conjoined bathing chamber. There the elder eunuch washed away the excess blood and wrapped a bandage around the wound. Tending to this small injury gave the healer a welcome distraction from watching Bagoas shivering on Hephaestion's bed, but it wasn't enough to divert his thoughts for long.

"Do you think he's getting any better?" Hephaestion asked, hiding the desperation that threatened to choke his words.

"I can't be certain, but he doesn't seem to be any worse either," Oromedon sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if his fear is contributing to the fever's strength."

"If it is, there's nothing we can do about it. He needs the ointment."

"The tear does appear to be improving at least. I have found no blood the last few times we've had to put him through this," Oromedon saw a hint of hope glow in Hephaestion's eyes and knew it reflected in his own dark orbs. "If Bagoas is to get better, the fever will break in the next day or so, I believe."

The general's face gained a relieved smile, but he was interrupted from saying anything by the youth's cry. Both men darted into the bedroom to find Bagoas calling out for Alexander, although the fever still held him trapped in delirium.

"See to him while I fetch the king," Hephaestion commanded in a strained whisper as anxiety churned in his stomach. "Alexander won't forgive me if I don't."

The general disappeared before Oromedon could give any sort of response. As the outer door clicked shut, the elder eunuch stepped around the end of the bed, grabbing a blanket that was neatly folded across its foot and draping it over his distraught former student. Bagoas's sobs brought a painful ache to the healer's heart, bringing him to reach out and entwine his fingers with the youth's. The gesture brought no comfort to the feverish eunuch, but Oromedon at least felt some relief when it didn't cause the other to jerk away either.

Moments later, the king strode into the room, and Oromedon immediately relinquished his spot to the man. Alexander had been holding most of his governing business in his chambers, just down the hall from Hephaestion's rooms, ever since Bagoas had slipped into this fever. Starting on that first morning of illness, the king had demanded that he be informed of any changes in the young Persian's condition as soon as they were known, no matter what he was in the middle of doing. Oromedon and Hephaestion had shared the task of taking news to Alexander, and to the healer's great surprise, the man had never shown any sighs of anger with either of them, no matter what the news they brought.

Oromedon watched as Alexander knelt next to the bed and took hold of Bagoas's hand as he had done barely a minute before. The king ran the fingers of his free hand through the eunuch's sweat-matted hair, trying to calm his sobbing with soothing words and nonsensical humming. Slowly, Bagoas fell silent, and for the first time in days, there seemed to be a light of sense and recognition in his eyes.

"Al'skander?" the young Persian's voice was husky from his sobbing and earlier screams. Bagoas was obviously still disoriented, but with the eunuch finally being able to recognize his king and lover after three days of fear and delirium, Alexander was brought to tears.

With his own weeping rendering him blind, the king pulled Bagoas into his arms, needing to feel him safe and near. The youth, unsure of what exactly was going on, willingly nuzzled into Alexander's chest where exhaustion eventually forced him to fall asleep. Although overjoyed at this positive change, the Macedonian ruler could still feel the fever consuming the lithe body, and he turned his attention to Oromedon who was still standing by the doorway.

"What does this mean?" Alexander asked in a choked whisper.

"It means that the fever is loosing its hold on him, but that doesn't mean it's ended yet," the older eunuch stepped forward to sit beside the pair. Oromedon pressed the back of his hand to Bagoas's throat, checking his temperature. "His fever has peaked, but I won't be surprised if he slips in and out of delirium several more times before it recedes completely. Considering how he's faired so far, I am pretty confident that he's finally out of danger at least."

Alexander nodded his understanding before draping an arm around the elder eunuch, "Thank you, for all of your help. You have no idea what it means to me, what he means to me."

Oromedon, for all the eloquence he had gained over his years serving Darius and his court, could think of nothing adequate to say in response. So he simply returned the half-embrace and then left the king to spend some time alone with the sleeping Bagoas.

* * *

Over the course of several more days, Bagoas continued to slip in and out of his fever haze. On the morning of the eighth day since the attack and rape, Hephaestion had been left alone to watch over the young Persian after assisting Oromedon with the morning round of treating the youth's wounds. Bagoas had regained enough sense during the procedure that he was now willingly curled against Hephaestion's side, seeking a bit of physical comfort from the general as he dozed away the morning. Running loving finger's through the youth's silken hair, Hephaestion smiled down at his friend, pleased to note that the fever was nearly gone from the lithe body.

Sighing, the general turned his attention to a pile of scrolls one of Alexander's pages had brought earlier that morning. The topmost had a short note, scrawled in the king's writing, informing the man that he was to take care of the pile of paperwork, because 'you have spent entirely too much time lying about with our ailing Bagoas. And if I am not allowed to get out of doing the work of a king because he's been sick, then you are not allowed to get out of doing the work of a general!'

Hephaestion had laughed softly upon reading the note. Bagoas's slow but steady recovery was putting both of them in a better mood than they had felt in nearly a week, although their spirits wouldn't truly improve until their beloved eunuch was back on his feet. And then there would be the issue of the trial to deal with.

Ptolemy had been working hard to develop their case for bringing the perpetrators to justice. It would be a delicate task all around. Alexander needed to make sure the Macedonian troops did not feel unjustly persecuted due to a misconception about their king playing racial favorites. Such a mistake on his part could result in a revolt amongst the troops. But at the same time, Alexander had to make it clear that Bagoas was more than a royal courtesan acquired as a spoil of war. The young eunuch's experience in Darius's court had proven to be invaluable in helping the king not only to achieve treaties and alliances but also in being able to read danger in men coming from other cultures that he had a limited understanding of. It was practically impossible for anyone to determine how many times Bagoas may have prevented new feuds from arising simply by smoothing over misunderstandings before they became public. Ptolemy had indeed been quite busy gathering plenty of witnesses to argue on behalf of Bagoas's worth as an advisor to the king.

As the morning hours passed, Hephaestion made his way through the pile of paperwork. Bagoas continued to doze against his side until the noon meal was brought in by a pair of servants, the smell of the food rousing the eunuch from his sleep. Oromedon had also entered with the pair, bringing with him another small container of ointment. Bagoas blinked up at his former mentor, clearly recognizing the older eunuch but wondering about the small jar he carried.

"How are you feeling, Gazelle-Eyes?" Oromedon inquired as he took a seat on the bed. The level of awareness in the youth's eyes encouraged the elder eunuch.

"I'm tired, but I think that's more from having been bedbound for so many days rather than the illness," the young Persian sighed, turning over so that he could look at Oromedon while they spoke.

"You think you can take care of your own ointment this time around?" the handsome man held out the small jar to Bagoas. The younger eunuch stared at it for a moment before wrapping his hand around it.

"This is for…?" the youth lowered his eyes pointedly before glancing back at Oromedon in question.

"Yes, and make sure you get some inside of you too," offering the younger eunuch a gentle smile, Bagoas's former mentor helped ease him to his feet. "Go and take care of it in the bathing chamber, and then come back here to join us for lunch."

The youth stumbled sluggishly into the attached room, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his lack of grace, but there was nothing to be done about it at the moment. His sprained knee was still somewhat painful. Bagoas didn't realize that just seeing him standing was a beautiful sight to both Hephaestion and Oromedon. As the pair watched the door to the bathing chamber close, the general leaned forward and wrapped his strong arms about the courtesan-turned-healer's torso.

"You're a miracle worker, you know that?" Hephaestion whispered as he kissed the eunuch's cheek.

"It's not like I haven't had help," Oromedon glanced at the man in surprise. "You and the Great King have done just as much for him. And if Bagoas didn't possess the strength he does, well, there would have been nothing any of us could have done for him."

"You still deserve most of the credit, I think," Hephaestion grinned at him.

The general continued to hold Oromedon to his chest as they waited for their young friend, resting his chin on the eunuch's shoulder. The two had spent a great deal of time together as they tended to Bagoas and had developed an easy friendship during the long, stressful hours. At one point, Hephaestion had asked how the two eunuchs had met in the past, still feeling the bite of guilt and jealousy at how easily Oromedon had gained Bagoas's trust upon his arrival. The general had felt shock and a slight twinge of embarrassment when the healer had explained about how he had once been a courtesan himself in the Great King's harem and had been asked to train Bagoas in the arts of pleasure after losing the king's interest. Hephaestion had seen the worry in Oromedon's face at having to divulge this information, the eunuch fearing punishment or dismissal of some sort, but the general had only given him a reassuring smile and reminded him that Alexander had given Bagoas his freedom.

After a few long moments, the young eunuch opened the door to the bathing chamber and shyly peeked out before stepping back into Hephaestion's bedroom. The general released his hold on Oromedon and got up from the bed, beckoning Bagoas to sit in the spot he had just vacated. Hephaestion then gathered up the lunch trays and brought them over to the bed.

"It's good to have you awake and alert again, Bagoas," the general smiled as he settled on the youth's opposite side. "You gave all of us quite a scare with how long you were feverish."

"How many days have passed then," the young Persian inquired softly, "since the attack?"

"Counting the morning I found you, it's been eight," Hephaestion tried to keep his voice warm and gentle. The general felt his stomach knot as he realized that Bagoas would still have a long road ahead of him in his recovery; the emotional wounds he had suffered were still raw.

Bagoas nodded before casting his eyes to his lap. Oromedon seemed to sense something in the youth that Hephaestion couldn't pick up on. The older eunuch reached over and placed a soothing hand on top of his student's.

"Think nothing of it, Bagoas. They were eight days that your mind was lost in fever and delirium. You could not live them as you would have liked," the youth tilted his head to lock eyes with his former mentor, taking as much comfort as he could get from the other's words. "If you feel as though those eight days do not exist, then go ahead and live that way. It will do more good for your heart to do so than if you try and force your healing as if you were conscious and of a sound mind that entire time."

"Al'skander helped to care for me during that time, though, didn't he? He will not be happy if I turn him away again now," Bagoas's voice was pained, his mind torn between doing what would bring him the most comfort for the time being and what would bring his king and lover the most comfort.

"He'll respect your decisions about who you want to see right now and who you don't, Bagoas," Hephaestion tried to reassure the youth. "Alexander won't be angry with you for it. He knows you're trying to heal."

"I just need some time to think about all of this," Bagoas admitted before starting in on a bowl of soup.

"If you want, I'll have the servants prepare a bath for you once you're done eating. Being able to relax in a tub of warm water may help you to sort through your thoughts," Hephaestion made the offer, unsure of whether the young eunuch would take it while still fighting off the very last of his fever. However, Bagoas liked the suggestion, and so the general had the bathing chamber prepared for him.

* * *

**End A/N:** So I hope you've enjoyed this third chapter of the rewritten Lovers of the Divine Lion. More will be posted as I get it written out. Reviews and comments are always appreciated. (Again, yes to the negative ones as well!)

Thanks for reading! ~ Stony Knight


	4. Love Reunited

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** Love Reunited

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** This is a shorter chapter this time around, but I think it should please the AxH fans who are not quite sure why they're reading this story. Sorry about the lack of actual smut, but I don't write such things. I'm more interested in telling an actual story here rather than giving you something to hide under your pillows.

**Warnings:** The same as the other chapters: talk of rape & homosexuality.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

Hephaestion felt Alexander give a content sigh as he wrapped an arm around the king's torso. With his own bed occupied not only by Bagoas but Oromedon as well, the general had found himself sharing Alexander's sleeping quarters every night since the eunuch's attack. However, neither man had felt much inclined to physical activities in light of why Hephaestion was so misplaced.

"You know, we haven't spent this many nights together since the Illyrian exile," Alexander commented. "I don't think I realized how much I've missed it, how much I've missed you until now."

"You haven't missed me. I've been right here with you all along," Hephaestion nuzzled his lover's shoulder, amusement in his voice. "You're just realizing that maybe the others don't object as strongly to our continuing our relationship as you thought. We might be grown men now, Alexander, but they see how loving and generous you are with everyone. They know you don't show favoritism with me; some even think you're harder on me than anyone else."

"You're right of course. You're always right when it comes to these things," Alexander turned onto his side so that he could look into his beloved general's illuminating eyes. "It's just that it goes against social practice. Boyhood love is supposed to be outgrown."

"What? You honestly think the men would expect you to outgrow our love? Even without knowing what the Oracle at Siwah said to you, they all agree that there's some touch of divinity about you. They already say that your name shall be immortal, remembered forever. So why should they expect you to outgrow a love that you've so cherished? Love in and of itself is rooted deep in your soul, and if your soul is immortal, your love should be immortal also."

"Shut up, you little imp!" Alexander laughed as he firmly kissed Hephaestion. "Alright, alright, I'll let you have things your way and stop trying to sneak about with you like a criminal in the night."

"But I like sneaking!" Hephaestion protested, trying to squelch his own laughter as Alexander's fingers attacked him mercilessly, exciting his senses and provoking a burning heat through his body that lately he had only found on the battlefield. It had been much too long since he had done anything like this with his beloved king.

The two spent half the night exploring and rediscovery each other's bodies. When dawn finally found the pair, both king and general were still tired and sated from their nocturnal activities. Neither stirred when the doors to Alexander's chambers creaked open, leaving Ptolemy to find the men in a tangle of limbs and blankets as they slept on. The slightly older general let an amused smile cross his face before taking a seat in a nearby chair to await the lovers' return to consciousness.

Over the course of the next half hour, sunlight peaking through the cracks in the window shutters slowly crept across Alexander's pillow to land on his eyelids. Both its heat and brightness finally roused the king from his sleep. And as Alexander's body stirred to life, the small muscle movements brought Hephaestion out of his own slumber.

"Good morning and health to you, Alexander and Hephaestion," Ptolemy's warm voice startled the king and his lover. Flailing in panic while his groggy mind tried to process the unexpected voice, Alexander managed to throw himself out of the bed and away from the incriminating position he had fallen asleep in. Unfortunately the tangled blankets tightened with the swift movement, and before he knew what was happening, the king ended up tripping and landing hard on his backside, taking the covers with him.

Hephaestion propped himself up on his elbows to stare down at his beloved king and commander, laughter bubbling up from his chest.

"I fail to see what's so funny about this," Alexander groused as he climbed to his feet, making sure to keep the blanket securely wrapped around his naked body.

Hephaestion only shrugged at him before turning his attention to Ptolemy. Alexander noted that his beloved general seemed to be completely at ease with his own nakedness, despite the incriminating evidence of the night's activities dried on his thighs. The king glanced to his other general, trying to gage the older man's reaction to the obvious proof of their relationship displayed before him. Ptolemy gave his king a warm smile and a nodded, before sitting back in his chair and turning to Hephaestion.

"I take it you finally convinced him to quit denying what we all know?" Ptolemy asked the other general.

"That his love never dies? Yeah," with a pleased smile, Hephaestion reached out and pulled on Alexander's blanket, convincing his lover with that simple gesture to rejoin him on the bed.

"Good, because things just haven't felt right since he started this whole 'I'm too old for this' attitude towards your relationship," Ptolemy then turned his attention back on Alexander. "If 'he too is Alexander,' then you need to stop being afraid of what the rest of us think about your relationship. No one's going to accept Hephaestion's authority as equal to your own in these lands if your own countrymen are confused as to his status in your life. Legally you may not be able to make him a consort, but he might as well be one at this point. No one knows you or your plans better than he does."

"And I will always share your dreams, Alexander," Hephaestion gave the stunned king a shy smile before kissing him.

"I'm beginning to think there's a conspiracy here," Alexander sighed once his lover broke away from the brief kiss. "So anyway, why are you visiting us this morning, Ptolemy?"

"I believe we're finally ready to start the trial against Bagoas's attackers. Leonatus and Nearchus are fairly certain that we've rounded up all of the perpetrators now," Ptolemy announced as he set a stack of papers on a nearby table. "And I've found enough witnesses to testify both against these men and on behalf of Bagoas so that he shouldn't have to say a word if he does not wish to speak at the trial himself. These documents will give you a basic summary of what each one will be saying."

Alexander eyed the pile with no small amount of hope in his eyes. He was more than ready to demonstrate to all of his men that what these few Macedonian miscreants had done to the young Persian eunuch was no more acceptable than if they had committed the heinous attack on a noble's son. Such brutality was not acceptable coming from his troops, no matter who they were or who they targeted.

"Thank you, Ptolemy. You have no idea how much this means to us."

"No, Alexander, I think it is you who will be surprised when you find out just how important Bagoas is to you," with those words, Ptolemy bid the pair farewell and left them to their breakfast.

* * *

Hephaestion knocked on the door to his bedroom before entering, wanting to alert Bagoas and Oromedon of his presence. He found the two eunuchs sitting on his bed with the tail end of their breakfast situated between them. The elder gave the general a welcoming smile, but Bagoas refused to meet his eyes. Hephaestion wondered at the youth's seemingly sudden withdrawal from him, until he realized he hadn't bathed yet this morning. And after his activities with Alexander the previous night, he'd be lucky if the youth couldn't smell it on him. It wouldn't be the most pleasant scent to a rape victim, which was why he and the king had not been engaging in such activities. Once again, Hephaestion felt guilt wash over him at having been the one to remind Bagoas of his trauma, even if the previous times the young Persian had been delirious.

"I, um… Ptolemy informed Alexander and me that we now have enough witnesses to put your attackers on trial, Bagoas, and you shouldn't have to testify yourself if you don't feel up to it," Hephaestion fidgeted in the doorway. "I'm, uh… I'm going to go clean up… I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot…"

The general slipped into the adjoined bathing chamber and asked his servants to prepare the tub for him. Wearily he sat down in the far corner of the room, hiding his face behind his knees and running his fingers through his tangled hair. He couldn't believe he had just done something so stupid as to walk in on Bagoas while he looked and smelled of sex. The youth was already worried that Alexander was going to reject him for being raped. The eunuch was probably thinking that Hephaestion had just inadvertently confirmed his fears. And right now, the general had no idea how to rectify the situation.

The servants had brought in the hot water for his tub in no time, and after stepping into the bath, Hephaestion allowed himself to be embraced by the calming heat for a good while before actually starting to wash himself off. He listened to the soft mumble of Bagoas and Oromedon talking in the next room, trying to gage the path of the conversation without being able to distinguish any of its words. Every now and again, the general thought he could recognize a sob or two, and he knew that he must fix the situation that he had inadvertently created before attending to the day's work Alexander had assigned him. He would not leave the youth heartbroken over a misconception.

Dried and dressed in clean garments, Hephaestion stepped back into his bedroom to find Bagoas curled against Oromedon's shoulder with an absolutely miserable look on his face. The elder eunuch gave the general an aggravated look, as if telling him 'This is your fault, so you better help me fix it!' With all the care and gentleness he could muster, Hephaestion slipped onto the bed beside Bagoas and ran a soothing hand over his upper arm.

"Bagoas, will you look at me for a moment?" the general asked, his voice soft and full of concern. The youth turned enough to glance at the man from the corner of his eye but stayed firmly against Oromedon's side. "Bagoas, I'm not trying to take Alexander away from you nor is he going to stop loving you because of what's happened. He loves us both. I know that's hard for you to understand, but it's the truth."

"How am I supposed to believe that?" the eunuch's sweet voice was barely a whisper. Hephaestion paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to give proof to the broken youth beside him.

"Bagoas, did you ever have a first love before Alexander?" the general withheld a smile as an idea came to him.

Bagoas tucked himself a little closer to Oromedon, "Love is not permitted for one like me who is meant for the beds of men with power, but yes, I did love someone before Al'skander."

"So you were separated from this person? And not because either one of you wanted to leave the other?" Hephaestion prodded, hoping.

"Yes, we had to leave each other despite our own wishes," Bagoas confirmed in a sigh which seemed to send a shiver over Oromedon's flesh. Hephaestion glanced up at the elder eunuch with curiosity and noted an odd glimmer in his eyes.

"Do you still love this person then?" the general kept his eyes on Oromedon as he awaited Bagoas's answer.

There was a long pause before the youth's trembling voice offered in a whisper, "Of course I do. How could I ever stop?"

Hephaestion finally let a gentle smile pull at his mouth when he saw Oromedon shed a tear.

"If there is room in your own heart for two loves, then why would you doubt that Alexander's heart could not also hold love for both of us?" the handsome general pushed himself up from the bed and headed for the door, a satisfied grin on his lips. "I was Alexander's first love, Bagoas, as he is mine. We will always love each other just as you will always love Oromedon."

"I love you too, Bagoas," the elder eunuch whispered once the outer door of the suite had clicked shut behind Hephaestion. "I will always love you, my sweet Gazelle-Eyes."

The young Persian lifted his face up to his former mentor and sought out a gentle, chaste kiss before wrapping his arm around Oromedon's neck and pulling him down to cuddle with him. Bagoas wasn't yet ready to engage in anything more sensual or sexual than this simple act, but he knew that when the time came, he wanted Oromedon to be the one to reintroduce him to the tender, blissful world of love making.

* * *

**End A/N:** So there you have it, chapter 04. I hope it's helped to spark your interests a little more. For some reason, I feel like people thought I was trying to be anti-AxH with this thing. But I never said that, nor did I ever say it wasn't part of this storyline. I just hadn't gotten there yet, seeing as this plotline is kind of centered around Bagoas and his rape…

Anyway, reviews and comments (including negative one!) are always welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for reading! ~ Stony Knight


	5. An Individual's Worth

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** An Individual's Worth

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** My apologies if this chapter is kind of boring for the most part. I knew the trial would be tedious both to read and write, which is why I didn't want to write it out the first time around. For the most part, this chapter has a lot less detail in the dialogue than the other chapters, which makes it extra boring to me.

Thanks to my reviewers! I'm glad all of you decided to stick it out until chapter 04 when I finally got the chance to explain the whole AxH thing and how the AxB relates into it. Eventually I'll get around to the HxB stuff too in upcoming chapters.

**Warnings:** Everything is fairly toned down in this chapter compared to the others, but there are still mentions of rape and displays of homosexuality. Again I wonder why a homophobic person would be reading Alexander fanfiction…

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

Bagoas tucked his head under Hephaestion's chin as the two listened to Oromedon give testimony at the trial. The elder eunuch had been asked to explain just how serious the youth's condition had been after the Macedonians' attack on him. The young Persian was shocked at the true severity of his wounds and resulting illness, only now hearing and understanding how much danger he had been in. Bagoas nuzzled closer to the handsome general holding him, shivering slightly in newfound fear of the attack and the Macedonians who had dealt him so much damage.

Hephaestion tried soothing the young eunuch with whispered words and protective arms, but Bagoas's only response was to attempt to burrow closer to the man. The general glanced helplessly over at Alexander, his eyes asking his king for permission to take the Persian back to his rooms. Bagoas had already sat through half a day's testimonies addressing his importance as an advisor to Alexander and just how high his social status was within the king's court. Hephaestion saw no reason to torture the eunuch by making him sit through his attackers' defense speeches which would begin once Oromedon had finished speaking.

"I believe now would be a good time to break for lunch," Alexander announced when the healer had taken his seat again next to Hephaestion and Bagoas. The men gathered in the main hall of the king house for the trial made sounds and gestures of agreement, and the king called for servants to bring in the noon meal. Once the order was given, Alexander rose from his seat and approached where his beloved general and two eunuchs were sitting.

"Bagoas, are you alright?" the king's voice was soft with concern as he reached out a hand to stroke the youth's back. The young Persian turned his head enough to look up at Alexander, his distress clearly showing in his beautiful, dark eyes.

"Would it be acceptable for the three of us to retire to my rooms?" Hephaestion inquired, referring to himself, Bagoas, and Oromedon. He knew Alexander would not be able to slip away from the trial since he was the one overseeing the proceedings. "Or do you think it would cost us in the face of the jury? I know Bagoas doesn't have to testify, but not being present at all might cause some disputes."

"I…," before Alexander could offer his thoughts on the matter, Nearchus and Leonatus came up behind him and interrupted.

"You know, Alexander, Bagoas doesn't need to sit through this if he doesn't want to be here," Leonatus looked down into the eunuch's eyes with a mixture of pity and consideration. "We've discussed it with the other jury members. We'll send for him if he wants to be here for the verdict and sentencing."

"Well, I guess that answers your question, Hephaestion," Alexander glanced over at the other jury members with a raised eyebrow. "The three of you can go ahead and have lunch in your rooms. I'll send a page if we need either you or Oromedon again."

Hephaestion offered his thanks before pushing himself to his feet, Bagoas still in his arms. With Oromedon following, the handsome general carried the young Persian out of the hall and to the upper floors of the king house where the private rooms were located. Upon reaching his own rooms, Hephaestion deposited the youth on his bed and then assisted the servants in setting up their lunch table.

"Why do they hate me so much?" both the general and the elder eunuch were surprised by Bagoas's sobbed question. "What did I do to make them hate me so much?"

"Oh, Gazelle-Eyes," Oromedon settled onto the bed and drew his former student into his arms, kissing the youth's temple repeatedly. "It's not you personally that they hate. It's what you represent. They don't want a Persian in their king's bedchamber. They hate all our people."

"But why did they choose to hurt me?" Bagoas continued to sob as he clung to Oromedon. "Out of all the Persians at court and in the cities, why did they choose me?"

"Because they figured you were an easy target," Hephaestion joined the two eunuchs on his bed, running gentle fingers through the younger's hair. "Even if you never realized it before now, the Macedonians did see how much power you hold at court. And they fear that power because of their hatred for your people. Attacking a Persian noble was out of the question for them, but due to your life as a courtesan, they figured that attacking you would allow them to send a message without bringing any dire consequences upon themselves. However, they never counted on Alexander's Companions actually looking past your race and seeing you as a person in and of yourself."

Bagoas peeked over at Hephaestion, curiosity and confusion in his eyes, "How do you know what the Companions think of me?"

"I was watching them while the testimonies were being given this morning," the general caressed the eunuch's cheek, wiping away his tears. "I went to school with all of them at Mieza, where we learned philosophy and debate and many other things about how to lead people. I know how to read these men. Although they managed to hide it well enough from the others, I saw the outrage in each of their faces at what had been done to you. The jury will vote in your favor, Bagoas, no matter what the young soldiers have to say in their defense. The Companions know that without your understanding of the nobles here, their own advice to Alexander would be rendered incomplete and ineffectual."

"So Leonatus meant it when he included hearing the sentencing of the men when the jury passes their verdict?" Oromedon inquired.

"Most definitely," Hephaestion gave a small, warm smile. "Leonatus isn't quite fond of Persians and your customs himself, but he has developed a strong sense of personal rights ever since he had to leave his own lovely lady back in Macedon. One of the squires had made a crude joke about her being left in the company of wolves, and he beat the kid bloody for it."

Bagoas's tears had dried by this point, and he had calmed down, sitting quietly in Oromedon's arms. Hephaestion slipped off the bed and grabbed one of the lunch trays.

"Shall we eat now before our food becomes cold?" the general brought the tray over to the bed and set it beside the two eunuchs. His smile widened as Bagoas picked up a bowl of soup and a chunk of bread and began to eat with eagerness. The youth had lost some weight while he had been ill with fever, and now he seemed determined to regain it.

"You know, Bagoas, I think once all of this is done and over with, I'm going to teach you some fighting skills, self-defense and sword work and the like," Hephaestion commented as he fetched his own lunch and sat down in a nearby chair. "What do you think?"

"It's too late for me to become a soldier, but I would appreciate the opportunity to learn such skills," Bagoas glanced up at the general with glowing eyes. "My father had been teaching me such things before he was killed, and I've always longed to return to such training."

"It shall be so, then," Hephaestion promised, feeling a new sort of love for the youth swell up in his heart.

* * *

It was late in the evening, well after dinner, when a page finally knocked on Hephaestion's door to announce that the jury was ready to declare their verdict. Bagoas sat up in his place on the bed and looked sleepily at Hephaestion. The general gave the youth a reassuring smile, knowing the young eunuch was nervous. Bagoas was still unsure of the Companion's perception of him and worried that his attackers might have managed to talk their way out of a harsh enough punishment to prevent another attack. Despite his misgivings, however, the young Persian wanted to hear the jury's verdict.

Hephaestion and Oromedon walked on either side of Bagoas as they made their way down to the main hall. The younger eunuch still walked with a slight limp, favoring his sprained knee which was unable to heal much during his feverish thrashings and struggles. His other injuries had faired better, though, during his eight days of delirium and were fading quickly. The majority of his bruises had become yellowish splotches on his skin, while the claw and bite marks had scabbed over and faded away. The only wounds that bothered Bagoas now were the knife cuts which had turned into red or white scars depending on their severity. The youth hoped they would disappear altogether, not wanting the constant reminders of just who had attacked him. These were not the beautiful battle scars that Alexander or Hephaestion bore; instead they only served as cruel mementos to mock the Persian's weakness.

Bagoas continued to dwell on his physical wounds as he entered the main hall with his two friends, but Alexander's sudden presence at his side made the youth look up into his beloved king's warm face. Although still nervous around his lover, the eunuch accepted a quick embrace from Alexander before the golden man turned to the jury expectantly. Surprisingly, it was Cassander who stood up to announce the jury's decision.

"It is our conclusion that the actions of these soldiers have resulted in more damage than just that which was inflicted upon Bagoas's person. Indeed, they have endangered all of our lives here in Persia, for if Bagoas had died, we would have lost an irreplaceable interpreter, advisor, and emissary. As it is, Bagoas's services to this campaign will now be greatly impaired, because his person has been made so public in the face of this trial. He will no longer be able to act as the king's hidden eyes and ears within the court, resulting in greater risk to Alexander's safety. In light of this, we feel that it is within the rights of this jury to charge these men with conspiracy against the crown if not outright treason."

Bagoas's sight blurred with tears as the shock of the jury's verdict settled over him. Never had the eunuch thought himself to be so integral to Alexander's continuing campaign here in his homeland. For a moment he felt himself to be a traitor to his own people, until the youth considered all of the gifts and benefits Alexander had bestowed upon the Persians. All of the boys and young men now had the opportunities to learn reading and writing and soldiering. The people had been freed of harsh dictators, and local laws and customs had been reestablished according to each area's cultural differences. Alexander strove to understand his conquered peoples where past kings had merely tried to get them all to conform to their own worldviews. It was an odd thought, but Alexander managed to bring freedom to Bagoas's people through conquering them.

As Bagoas considered all of the blessings and kindnesses his beloved king had bestowed upon his people, Cassander went on to name and sentence each of the men who had participated in his attack and rape. All were to be flogged, but the ringleaders had also been sentenced to death by javelin. Again the young eunuch felt shock at just how severe the jury's ruling was. He had never expected any of these men to die for attacking him.

"Congratulations, Bagoas," Alexander whispered into the youth's ear as guards began leading the condemned men away. The eunuch looked up into the king's warm, grey eyes before lifting his arms to wrap around Alexander's neck.

"I never realized how much you valued my life until now," Bagoas whispered as he buried his head against the man's chest. "I didn't think I was so important to you."

"My caring and love for you runs deeper than just your services to me, Bagoas," Alexander encircled the young Persian in his arms, holding the youth close. "You've also proven yourself to be a great friend and confidant as well. Even if you were nothing more than some tribe warrior's son and knew nothing of court life and intrigue, I would still want to have you by my side. I love you, Bagoas."

"I love you too, Al'skander," the eunuch nuzzled against the king for a moment longer before pulling away with a sleepy yawn.

Alexander gave a soft laugh and nudged Bagoas towards Oromedon and Hephaestion, "I think someone's ready to tuck in for the night. The sentences will be carried out tomorrow, just to let you know. You don't have to attend if you don't feel up to it, Bagoas."

The youth nodded, "Good night, Al'skander."

"Good night, Bagoas, Oromedon, Hephaestion."

After nodding in turn to each of the three, Alexander walked over to where the jury was still gathered to discuss the morrow's punishments and executions. Hephaestion gathered Bagoas up in his arms and once more carried the lithe eunuch up to his rooms. Oromedon followed, feeling both relieved by the verdict and a little saddened. Soon Bagoas would no longer require his healing knowledge, and it would be time for them to part ways again. The elder eunuch had accepted such things as inevitable a long time ago, but it still pained him.

When Hephaestion left the pair in his rooms, Oromedon drew Bagoas into a loving hug. The former mentor spent a moment just breathing in the youth's scent and feeling the other's warmth against his body. He had dearly missed Bagoas over the years of their separation, and he knew that the loss of his former student's presence in his life would bring a much keener hurt the second time around.

Wanting to demonstrate just how much he cared for him, Oromedon led Bagoas over to the bed and began disrobing the youth in the same way he had taught him to do for the Great King. At first the younger eunuch was surprised, but he soon relaxed and allowed his former mentor to go through the ceremony. Bagoas blushed when Oromedon kissed his feet after removing each of his slippers and again when the elder eunuch kissed the back of his shoulder as he wrapped the younger Persian's sleeping robe around his lithe body. Despite everything this breathtaking man had taught and shown him, Bagoas found these few kisses to be the most intimate caresses they had ever shared.

As Oromedon finished going through the motions of the ceremony, Bagoas tugged at his former mentor's sleeve, causing the elder eunuch to turn to him again. Leaning up, the young Persian pressed a tender kiss to Oromedon's lips in loving thanks. After parting, the handsome man quickly prepared himself for bed and slipped underneath the covers next to Bagoas. They curled together in a tight tangle of limbs and drifted off to sleep, not daring to break the beautiful moment with any unnecessary words.

* * *

**End A/N:** So here ends Chapter 05. I hope you liked it better than I did. As usual, reviews and comments are appreciated, even the negative ones. I believe the next chapter should be a bit more interesting, and things should lighten up in the plotline once the executions and punishments are over. (I'm not sure if I'm actually writing those in, though, so don't get your hopes up for them.)

As always, thank you for reading! ~ Stony Knight


	6. Webs of Relationship

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** Webs of Relationship

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** Well, here's chapter 06. There's a good dosing of sweetness for the AxH lovers again. I hope its combination with a little mischief talk amongst our eunuchs will be enough to counteract the end of the chapter. And there's a bit of a surprise later on as well. So I hope you'll all enjoy it!

**Warnings:** Well, I don't think I've gotten too graphic, but then again I was raised from an early age on horror movies like _Poltergeist_ and _Pet Cemetery_. So for anyone who's squeamish, you might want to beware the end of this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

"So how was the rest of the trial? Obviously it went well for us, but how did the soldiers try to defend their actions?" Hephaestion inquired, drawing Alexander close as they settled under the blankets together.

The Macedonian king let out a tired sigh, glancing at his lover to see if the man was actually serious in asking such a question now. It had been a long, tedious day. The general's eyes were closed and his face was relaxed as he pillowed his head on Alexander's shoulder; there was no amused smile or mischievous grin gracing Hephaestion's lips. He was honestly curious about the trial.

With another sigh, Alexander dropped his head back onto his pillow, "The idiots tried to belittle Bagoas, saying that since his high standings had not been made public, he couldn't expect to have the protections of such rank. They also said that they shouldn't be held accountable for attacking a noble lord when they thought him to be no more than a courtesan. They said a courtesan wouldn't have warranted such a trial and so this whole thing was just a sham."

"I take it their insolence was not well hidden then," Hephaestion commented, interrupting his lover's rising temper.

"Half of them didn't even bother to hide their contempt for Bagoas," Alexander shifted to bury his face in the thick mass of his beloved's hair. "I would have ordered them all executed just for that. But as it is, I'm just grateful poor Bagoas didn't have to sit through their testimonies."

"He broke into tears when we got to my rooms at lunchtime. He asked Oromedon and me why they hate him so much. It was absolutely heartbreaking, Alexander," Hephaestion felt Alexander take a shuddering breath and tightened his grip around his king's waist, trying to comfort him.

"How are we ever going to fix this for him, Hephaestion? I feel like I've let him down so badly that this will be impossible to rectify. I don't want him to be afraid to venture out in public for the rest of his life, to fear the scorn and hatred of lesser men."

"And what makes you think this is your fault?" Hephaestion asked, surprised.

"If Bagoas were the lover of any other man in this army, I doubt they would have targeted him. It is only because he sleeps in my bed that they decided to take their anger and hatred out on him. Therefore it is my fault. I did not protect him as I should have."

Hephaestion quieted his lover's words, feeling Alexander try to stifle his increasing tears. The handsome, quiet general shifted so that they could gaze into each other's eyes, and he lifted a hand to caress away the dampness from his king's face.

"It is no more your fault than it is Bagoas's," Hephaestion whispered, pressing their foreheads together. "You can no more change the fact that you are king than he can change the fact that he was gelded. Do not regret your love because of who you are. Bagoas is good for you. He gives you what I cannot, and he does for you what I cannot."

"And what does he give me that you cannot, my Patroclus?"

"Exactly that," Hephaestion smiled. "He is not fated as we are. He is something new, not bound to myths and gods. His spirit is free of our past, our trials and tribulations, our wounds and scars. He is like a cool drink of water on a hot summer's day whereas I can only give you the wine which we have fermented during our time together. Sometimes it is sweet, sometimes bitter. But it can never clear your mind of the tumult around us as he can. Up until now, there have been no burdens that you share between you."

"You find our love a burden, Hephaestion?"

"I did not say that. Any burden you lay upon me, you share equally in your own heart. You know this to be true, Alexander."

"Which is why only you can be my Patroclus, only you can be Alexander too," weariness began to slur the king's words and his eyes drooped despite his efforts to fight off sleep. Hephaestion pressed a tender kiss to Alexander's lips and softly caressed his lover's eyelids with gentle fingertips, forcing the inevitable.

"Sleep now, my Achilles. We can talk further in the morning."

* * *

Dawn's light roused Hephaestion from his slumber before waking Alexander, so the general spent these few solitary moments of the peaceful early morning hour in studying his beloved king. Alexander's face was utterly relaxed in sleep, showing none of the stress and emotional turmoil yesterday's trial had brought to him. Hephaestion knew that it would all come back, however, when his lover had to attend the punishments and executions later that morning, but he hoped that a little sensual pampering might delay it at least until they had to leave the room. With such thoughts in mind, the handsome general began to slowly kiss Alexander awake.

Grey eyes fluttered open as the Macedonian king responded to Hephaestion's strategic stimulations. Alexander knew immediately, from years of experience, that his beloved general didn't intend for these activities to lead too far, and even though he wanted to rebel against that choice at the moment, it was for the best.

Once he knew Alexander was fully awake, Hephaestion propped himself up on an elbow and smiled down at his king, "Roll over onto your stomach."

Alexander tilted his head and considered his lover for a moment before he complied. Hephaestion shifted with him, allowing his king to settle comfortably in the spot he had been occupying. Then the quiet general moved to straddle Alexander.

"What are you doing?" grey eyes peeked over a tanned shoulder in curiosity. Hephaestion only offered a smile in answer before leaning forward to press down on Alexander's spine just between his shoulder blades. The bones cracked under the general's attentive hands, and his beloved king gave an appreciative sigh as the surrounding muscles lost some of the tension that had built up during the previous day's long hours of testimony. Hephaestion's clever fingers then moved to work away the remaining knots before slipping down to crack the next section of Alexander's back.

"Better?" Hephaestion nuzzled against the back of his lover's neck once he had finished his task.

"Much better. Thank you, Hephaestion. I didn't even realize how much I needed that," Alexander turned onto his side and pulled his beloved general to his chest, sharing another tender kiss with the man.

Hephaestion pulled away with a sigh, "I think we should probably get up now before this goes too far. You have duties to attend to which cannot be delegated to others this morning."

Reluctantly both men slipped from the bed and dressed. Hephaestion joined Alexander at his breakfast table but left the king's chambers shortly after they finished eating, wanting to check on Bagoas and Oromedon. The sentences prescribed for the eunuch's attackers would be carried out in just over an hour, and the general needed to know if the two Persians wished to attend.

As usual, Hephaestion knocked before entering the suite and found Bagoas and Oromedon just finishing their own breakfast at the small dining table in the main room. He greeted both with one of his gentle smiles and sat down with them.

"So how are the two of you this morning?" the general asked, glancing over Bagoas to appraise his state. The youth offered him a small, tired smile, but there was a slightly hopeful look to his dark eyes.

"We've decided to attend the executions and perhaps the floggings," Oromedon announced, reaching over to grasp his former student's elegant hand resting on the table. Bagoas glanced over at the elder eunuch and his smile grew a little.

"I've seen executions and punishments before, but I'm not sure how I'm going to react to this," the youth admitted to Hephaestion. "It's different this time around. I've never had a stake in it before."

"Don't be afraid to leave if you feel like you need to," the general said softly. "No one will think less of you for it."

Bagoas nodded, "Thank you, Hephaestion."

Nodding in turn, Hephaestion settled back in his chair and waited patiently while the two eunuchs finished readying themselves to head to the garrison's practice field where the sentences would be carried out. The general withheld an amused laugh as he watched Oromedon put on various pieces of jewelry. Despite having spent a week and a half with the man, Hephaestion was only now realizing just how much of a peacock the elder eunuch was. When out in public, Oromedon practically wore a small fortune in gold ornaments and elaborately embroidered robes.

"And what are you looking at?" the healer grinned when he noticed Hephaestion watching him.

"I was just thinking that you could have made a good soldier," the general unfolded himself from his chair and approached Oromedon. "If you add any more to your daily wear, I'd dare to say you'll be carrying just as much weight on your shoulders as any phalanx man. And you do it for fun!"

Hephaestion turned to Bagoas, "Has he always been like this? I feel like I missed something."

"What? Extravagant? Eye-catching? Demanding of attention?" Bagoas stepped up to Oromedon, wrapped his arms about his former mentor's waist, and stared up at him with adoration. "For as long as I've known him, he's been like this. He wouldn't be Oromedon if he wasn't."

"Huh, you make it sound like I'm a self-centered, arrogant bastard," the elder eunuch said in mock-offense.

"Never!" the youth nuzzled up to the healer with a soft laugh. "No one has ever shown me as much caring and understanding as you have. A self-centered bastard would never do that."

The playful banter the two eunuchs shared brought joy to Hephaestion's heart. Bagoas had never been much for laughter even before the attack, trained as he was to act like a shadow, but the soft, breathy giggle the youth emitted now was the sweetest sound the general had heard in many years. Hephaestion didn't want to interrupt the moment.

"Bagoas, I think it's time for us to head out," Oromedon caressed the younger eunuch's hair. The youth glanced up into his beloved friend's comforting face and hugged him a little tighter before nodding in agreement. Hephaestion followed the two eunuchs out of his rooms and down to the main hall.

Alexander was waiting for them by the entryway into the hall and joined the three on the walk to the garrison's practice grounds. Quite a large crowd had gathered to watch the executions and floggings, mostly made up of soldiers and officers. A few noble Persians had also come which Bagoas drew strength from; they were a handful of familiarity in a sea of frightening foreignness. The youth stayed huddled between the protective bodies of Oromedon and Hephaestion as they took places next to the Companions who had made up the jury. Alexander went to speak with the guards and the men selected to deal out the punishments.

As they all waited for the proceedings to commence, Leonatus and Cassander stepped over to speak with Bagoas.

"Uh, we've been talking, all of the Companions, not just the jury members, and we agree that we'd like to do something for you, Bagoas," Leonatus spoke with hesitance. "We want to have a feast in your honor, but in light of what's happened, we're a little worried about calling it a celebration. We don't want to offend you or anything. Also, we're going to ask Alexander to allow you in on our councils. You may not be trained in war tactics or the like, but you still know how your own people think better than any of us will ever come to understand. We, the Companions, want you to be one of us."

"I would be honored to join your councils. I will help you in any way I can," Bagoas offered the two men a brief smile. "But I'm not sure how soon I'll be up to attending any public feasts. I… just being here, I feel nervous and crowded. It is difficult. I…"

"It's alright, Bagoas. It can be a small affair if you'd prefer, and we'll gladly wait until you're ready," Cassander's normally arrogant and condescending voice fell on Bagoas's ears with such gentleness that the eunuch for a moment thought the man to be drunk or possessed. Glancing up into the man's eyes, he found sincerity, and even odder, respect.

"I thank you then and the others," Bagoas bowed his head and clasped each of their hands in turn.

"It is we who should be thanking you, Bagoas," Leonatus gave the youth a half grin before he and Cassander turned away to rejoin the rest of the jury members.

By this time, the accused men had been bound to the posts which would hold them captive for their respective punishments. Alexander came to stand next to the jury and gave the order for the man overseeing the floggings to begin. Bagoas flinched at the first sound of the whip crack, startled by how thunderously loud it seemed in the sudden silence of the crowd. Few who came to watch the spectacle spoke while the young soldiers were beaten bloody. Bagoas stared as tanned flesh turned red, feeling some small measure of satisfaction; his attackers would bare these scars for the rest of their lives, a reminder of what they had done.

By the end of the morning, eleven men had been flogged and three executed for kidnapping, beating, and raping Bagoas. Most of those who had been spared death had to be carried away by guards, strips of flesh having been torn from their backs, leaving them unable to move without paralyzing pain. Bagoas took a shuddering breath as he turned to Hephaestion, and the general knew from the youth's eyes exactly what he wanted. Without hesitation, the quiet man scooped the eunuch up in his arms and began heading back towards the king house, Bagoas pillowing his head on Hephaestion's broad shoulder. Oromedon and Alexander both followed in solemn silence.

* * *

**End A/N:** I know this seems like an odd and heavy place to end this chapter, but I was afraid tacking on an additional scene would make it a little long compared to the others. So please forgive me. As always, reviews and comments are appreciated, including negative feedback.

Thanks for reading! ~ Stony Knight


	7. The Healer's Crafts

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** The Healer's Crafts

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** Just so you know, what you'll find in this chapter is probably the closest I'll get to writing actual smut. So I hope you enjoy it.

**Warnings:** Homosexual stuff, that's all for this chapter really.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

A week had gone by since Bagoas's attackers had been punished in the garrison's practice yard, and the youth was finally beginning to feel the effects of being cooped up in Hephaestion's rooms for so many days. His sprained knee no longer bothered him, and although he didn't wish to perform in public yet, the eunuch had begun his dance practice again, needing to exercise his muscles.

As Bagoas finished a set of warm-up maneuvers, an unexpected knock sounded on the outer door of the suite. A moment later Hephaestion slipped inside, carrying three wooden practice swords at his side.

"Oromedon told me you were growing restless, so I thought you might want to start your sword training," the general handed the youth one of the practice swords. "Alexander and I had one of the smaller courtyards converted into a training field for you."

Bagoas smiled up at the taller man, "We can start now?"

"I have nothing to do for the rest of the day," Hephaestion nodded, turning towards the door to the hallway. The youth eagerly followed him down to the main floor of the king house and to one of the side courtyards beyond the kitchens.

Bagoas was surprised by the difference in the space. What had once been a sheltered garden full of potted shrubs and flowers was now an open expanse. The tiled floor had been replaced with soft, clean sand, and heavy tapestries of hunting scenes hid the area from view of the upper floors. No one would be able to observe the occupants inside the space without Bagoas's knowledge. This pleased the eunuch greatly; he never appreciated being observed when he practiced anything requiring physical exertion. Practices were for private, performances for public.

Awaiting the general and the youth was Oromedon, standing patiently in the middle of the courtyard. Use to the elder eunuch's typically flashy attire, Bagoas noted immediately his mentor's lack of elaborate clothing. Instead, he was wearing a worn set of trousers and a light linen shirt. Oromedon smiled at the questioning look his former student gave him.

"Hephaestion asked that I learn a bit of sword work with you. He says it's easier to teach when there is more than one student," Oromedon explained. "And I will admit that I've been greatly looking forward to this since he suggested it."

Bagoas returned his friend's smile and walked up to him for a warm hug. Hephaestion gave the two eunuchs a bit longer to greet each other before walking over to hand Oromedon a practice sword of his own.

"Shall we get started then?" the general gave his new students a mischievous grin. For a moment the two Persians worried that perhaps they had gotten themselves into something that they shouldn't have, but within a half hour of instruction, they realized that Hephaestion was simply just as eager as they were about the lessons.

The handsome general had hoped both eunuchs would be quick learners due to their training to serve in the royal courts of the Great King, but he soon found that the two were picking up the various sword stances and maneuvers faster than he had ever expected. Hephaestion rarely had to correct either of them on any given position more than once, and much of the time, neither of them needed his assistance to form the proper angles after seeing him go through a new movement.

More than pleased with the quick progress the two eunuchs made, Hephaestion went so far as to put them through a slow sparring match with each other. The general ensured their safety by talking them through each movement, asking them to name a blocking or counter maneuver for each attack the other was to use. By the end of the session, Bagoas and Oromedon had managed to pick up the pace of the mock fight, Hephaestion letting them have at each other as long as they kept their attacking blows light so as not to hurt each other.

As he watched, Hephaestion decided the only thing either eunuch lacked was grip strength on his weapon. Being former courtesans, both had been taught to maintain soft, supple skin without calluses or dryness, and so by the end of the lesson, both had developed several blisters on their hands. Hephaestion took time to examine them at the end of the practice session.

"I have some healing balm that will help relieve the pain from the blisters," the general informed them. "It won't moisturize the skin too much, though and delay the formation of the protective calluses that will help you improve your grip on your weapons. I know you don't like the thought of having calluses, but it'll be better than getting blisters like these every time you pick up a sword. Real weapons are heavier than these practice blades, so the resulting blisters would be worse."

"A few calluses will definitely be worth being able to protect myself I think," Bagoas smiled, running a fingertip curiously around the edge of one of his blisters. The last time he could remember having such a simple injury was sometime before he had been castrated, which now seemed almost like another lifetime.

"Well I believe it's time for us to clean up for dinner," Hephaestion interrupted the youth's thoughts. "We'll return to lessons tomorrow afternoon."

Bagoas and Oromedon followed the general upstairs to the living quarters. They departed company at the door to Hephaestion's rooms, the man heading for Alexander's suite to bathe and leaving the eunuchs to themselves for a while. Oromedon ordered the servants to prepare the tub for Bagoas, and as they waited for them to finish, a page brought the healing balm Hephaestion had talked about.

Oromedon noticed that his former student had been watching him silently ever since they had left the courtyard. Although curious, he didn't want to ask Bagoas about it for fear of embarrassing the youth. Once the servants had finished preparing his tub, however, the younger eunuch surprised his former mentor by grabbing gently onto his wrist and leading Oromedon into the bathing chamber.

Without hesitation Bagoas began to undress, neatly folding his clothes and placing them on a stool. The elder eunuch watched in silence, still curious about his friend's actions, and when he made no move to undress himself, Bagoas began tugging off Oromedon's clothing as well. Once the elder eunuch was fully nude like himself, the youth pulled him over to the tub and indicated that he wanted Oromedon to join him in the warm waters. The younger Persian was still watching his companion's every move.

When they were both safely seated within the tub, facing each other, Bagoas leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Oromedon's familiar mouth.

"Not too far though, alright?" the youth whispered against the other's lips as he slowly began to caress his mentor's chest and arms with loving fingers.

Suddenly Oromedon found he understood Bagoas perfectly. His former student had never seen him move before as he had during their sword lesson, and now he wanted, needed to touch and explore Oromedon's graceful body. Bagoas had been remembering all of the blissful pleasures his former mentor had taught him while he had watched the elder eunuch on their way back to the suite, and now he wanted to relive some of those sweet memories. However, he still wasn't ready for sexual love making, hence his request.

The tub was large enough that they could sit side by side, their slim bodies pressed together in a tender embrace while their legs tangled. With fervor, Bagoas latched on to Oromedon's mouth with his own, tasting the elder eunuch in a way he had never been taught. The forceful kiss would have been unbecoming of a courtesan of their rankings, but when shared with each other, Oromedon found himself enjoying this break away from their craft's typical artfulness. This was true affection and love, not the false king worship they had been forced to perform in the past.

When the youth finally broke the kiss, Oromedon lowered his head to nuzzle against Bagoas's shoulder, laying tender kisses along his beloved friend's collarbone as his hands worked their magic on the youth's body, making sure to stay above his waistline. Bagoas gave a content sigh as he let his own hands mindlessly explore Oromedon's own strong shoulders and back, breathing in the familiar, light scent of his hair and sweat. He noted with pleasure that his mentor still had himself painted with elaborate henna designs despite his change in occupation, allowing beautiful flowers and vines to be revealed as Bagoas swept aside Oromedon's hair to lay kisses upon the elder eunuch's neck. It was now Oromedon's turn to sigh as Bagoas caressed and tempted him with loving reverence.

As the moment intensified, the elder eunuch felt gratitude that Bagoas had decided to do this now; if his former student had waited until later, when he was recovered somewhat from the workout of the sword lesson, he wasn't sure he would have had the restraint not to turn their sensual explorations into something sexual. As of now, however, Oromedon was simply too tired to let his body take that kind of control over his actions as their tender touches continued.

As the water began to cool, Bagoas gave his beloved mentor one last fervent kiss before he finally leaned back from his engagement with Oromedon, and the elder knew the pleasures were over for now. With a weary sigh, he pulled Bagoas to simply rest against his side, and the younger eunuch compliantly pillowed his head on Oromedon's shoulder.

"Thanks," Bagoas whispered as he shifted slightly. Below the clear waters, the young eunuch was clearly aroused from their activities, but not yet being ready for sex, he had stopped the explorations before he did sometime he thought he would end up regretting.

"Any time, Gazelle-Eyes," Oromedon kissed his temple. "But right now I think we really do need to get ready for dinner."

Bagoas hummed in agreement before moving away from the elder eunuch so they would each have room to wash. Once they had finished their bath and dried off, each put on clean clothes. Bagoas seemed pleased to see Oromedon once again in his elaborate robes, although they didn't show off as much of his beautiful form as his sparring outfit did. Heading into the bedroom, the two eunuchs then assisted each other in lightly massaging Hephaestion's balm into their blistered hands. Both were pleasantly surprised at just how well the medicine worked to reduce the sore blisters.

Just as they finished their preparations, a page knocked at their door to inform them that Alexander awaited their company within his suite. When politics didn't dictate otherwise, the king had been eating dinner in his rooms so that Bagoas could join him without having to endure the public spectacle of the main hall. Although still not ready for intimacy with him, the youth was feeling more at ease around Alexander again, something that soothed the pain in the man's own heart.

Arriving at the king's suite, Bagoas did greet Alexnder with a warm embrace and a quick kiss to his cheek, both of which the man respectfully accepted without seeking more. Watching with knowing eyes, Oromedon decided it wouldn't be long before his former student was ready to slip back into the king's bed. The younger eunuch's body moved once again with ease and self-assurance; only his conscious mind needed to get past the barriers that had been erected between them.

Noting a brief flash of sadness in Oromedon's eyes, Hephaestion stepped over to the elder eunuch. Under the guise of giving the healer a cup of wine, the general caught the other's attention.

"What's wrong, Oromedon? You seem bothered by something," Hephaestion's soft whisper didn't distract Alexander or Bagoas from starting their own light conversation.

"It is nothing," the eunuch replied just as softly. "Bagoas is healing quicker now that he is active again. He won't need me much longer."

"And what do you plan on doing once that happens?"

"I don't know. Go back to tending harems probably. The courtesans of kings are not the only ones who become targets of other men's anger and frustrations after all."

"You don't sound so sure you want to be a harem healer," Hephaestion noted.

"I find the work to be more necessary than I'd like to admit," Oromedon glanced into the man's brilliant blue eyes, and the general saw a painful disturbance in the eunuch's own dark orbs. "Despite my drive to learn healing techniques, I find I hate using my skills. It is much too painful for me to see such hurts as those inflicted upon my patients, half the time knowing that I am healing them only to send them back to the cruel men who gave them such wounds. Seeing Bagoas's attackers punished is the first time I have seen any of my patients given justice for the pain they've suffered."

"Alexander would be upset to hear such a thing is true," Hephaestion became thoughtful.

"I had heard that he set free the women and eunuchs of Darius's harem who wished to return to their original homes before allowing his men to inquire for their services."

"Yes, that is true," the general nodded, his thoughtful look fading. "Alexander and I have never liked to see the enslavement of those who have done nothing to deserve it. If it were within our power, we would resort the manhood of every eunuch who wishes it as well, but such magic seems to be reserved only for the greatest gods."

"If it is true what people say, then perhaps Al'skander will receive such powers someday," Oromedon smile as his mood lightened a bit. "And I'd daresay Bagoas would be the first in line if only because of the king's love for him."

"I think you're right about that," Hephaestion returned the eunuch's smile as he draped an arm around the Persian's shoulders. The servants had completed the finishing touches in setting up their dinner, and it was time to eat.

* * *

**End A/N:** So that's it. I had planned to put another scene in this chapter, but it's been bumped to the next one due to length. So I hope you come back for it! Please review, it's always appreciated!

Thanks for reading! ~ Stony Knight


	8. Looking to the Future

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** Looking to the Future

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** So I'm sorry this chapter took so long for me to post. It did not want to be written, and as a result, I'm not exactly happy with it. It seems a bit rough in places, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

**Warnings:** The usual homosexual stuff, and Bagoas and Oromedon talk about the results of the rape (but I really don't think there's much in there that would be problematic for anyone still reading this story).

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

"Alexander, I've been thinking," the king gave a questioning hum to let Hephaestion know he was listening. "I think we should ask Oromedon to stay on with us."

The general paused to await his lover's reaction. He could see clearly that Alexander was pondering the idea over in his mind as he stood on his balcony. Hephaestion poured each of them another glass of diluted wine and joined the king so they could talk comfortably. He had been planning this discussion ever since they had sat down to eat dinner with Oromedon and Bagoas earlier that evening.

"I can come up with several reasons why it would be good to ask him, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter," Alexander accepted his goblet from Hephaestion and gave him an expectant look. "After all, you wouldn't have brought this up if you didn't already have your reasons for asking him to stay."

"Well, Oromedon and I have talked quite a bit over the last few weeks. He used to be a courtesan in Darius's court like Bagoas. He knows Persian court customs and politics just as well as our little Bagoas."

"And if I have to start sending you out as my envoy and my authority to various towns and satraps, it would be good to have someone fairly inconspicuous to send with you to be your eyes and ears," Alexander gave Hephaestion a rare protective look that made the general's spine tingle with pleasure. The instances were few and far between when the king felt free enough to offer his lover extra protections.

"Well, I'm not sure 'inconspicuous' is exactly the right word for Oromedon, but it's true enough that he would be a great ally in regards to deciphering court intrigues in these lands," Hephaestion leaned his hip against the balustrade so that he could face his beloved king. "I was also thinking it would be good for Bagoas if Oromedon stayed. They're quite close."

"Really? I knew they had met before, but…," Alexander trailed off, giving Hephaestion the opportunity to explain.

"Apparently Oromedon is the one who trained Bagoas to be a royal courtesan," Hephaestion laughed softly at the blush that accompanied his lover's look of surprise. "Bagoas confides in Oromedon and trusts him completely. I know also that they love each other. Would that bother you if Oromedon stayed?"

"Does it bother you that I have taken Bagoas into my bed?" Alexander asked in return, half-fearing the answer.

Hephaestion laughed again, "Judging by our last few rounds of love making in the past weeks, I kind of wish you would have taken him into your bed a little sooner. I have most definitely enjoyed the little tricks you've picked up from him."

A scandalized and horrified expression planted itself on the king's face, causing Hephaestion to laugh harder. After a time, the general finally caught hold of himself and had mercy on his lover.

"Don't worry, Alexander," Hephaestion pulled his beloved king into a loose embrace, draping his arms around the golden man's waist. "I have never been jealous of Bagoas. When I first laid eyes on him, I will admit I had my doubts. I feared he would turn out to be nothing more than a pretty little bauble that Darius had trained like some lapdog. But then he proved himself to be more than a useful body servant. Indeed Alexander, I would far sooner entrust your safety to Bagoas than any one of your squires. He has a sharp mind and an understanding of human nature that I would dare say rivals any philosopher or orator found in Athens today."

"But why do _you_ love him so much? I don't get it, Hephaestion," Alexander tilted his head to the side as he stared into the general's gem-like blue eyes.

"In him I see a reflection of myself. There are thousands of men who follow you and claim to love you, Alexander, but out of all the men I've met, only Bagoas loves you for yourself. Like me, he doesn't care that you're a king or the commander of the most impressive fighting force these lands have ever known. He would follow you to the ends of the world and back again just to be at your side. He may have come to serve you originally to avoid a life of prostitution, but he stays because of his love. That is why he feared to let you see him after being raped, Alexander. He was afraid you'd send him away and break his heart," Hephaestion leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his beloved's lips. Alexander's eyes had turned sad at his general's words, his own heart aching at the thought of causing Bagoas such emotional pain and fear.

"We will ask Oromedon to stay," Alexander nodded, his eyes still distant and brooding. "I want Bagoas to feel surround by love. I want him to forget about what has happened, about the hatred that has wounded him so badly."

Hephaestion noted the words with a small measure of joy, but the sadness that had taken possession of his beloved king's eyes needed to be banished. With gentle guidance, the quiet general maneuvered Alexander back into their bedroom and towards the bed. Tonight the lovers would take it slow and dwell in the blissful peace that their love making could weave between their souls. The night would be about giving and receiving with no demands and no taking to ruin the tenderness they would build together. Yes, Hephaestion was definitely glad for the pleasures that Bagoas had taught to Alexander which in turn Alexander had taught to him.

* * *

Several more days passed in which Bagoas and Oromedon spent their afternoons training with Hephaestion. The general was glad to find that both eunuchs easily remembered the majority of the previous day's lessons and that they were slowly developing the calluses of a swordsman. The fact that both had undergone dance training sometime during their lives as courtesans also helped to lend power and precision to the pair's attacks and blocks, and soon Hephaestion was able to add a measure of strength training to their lessons.

As the days progressed, Hephaestion also noticed the secret looks that Bagoas kept giving to Oromedon, and he knew that he and Alexander would have to plan carefully for how they were going to ask the elder eunuch to stay on with them and the army. After all of the talks they had engaged in, the general was nearly certain that Oromedon would agree to stay. The only problem might be convincing him to stop being a harem healer; his sense of duty just might trump his dislike of such a job. However, Hephaestion was confident that he and Alexander would manage to talk the former courtesan into following his heart in the end. After all, Oromedon was starting to fail in hiding his own interests in Bagoas, and by the end of their first week of training the elder eunuch was throwing his own secret looks at the youth.

Once again, Hephaestion found himself parting ways with his two students at the door to his suite and wondering just what happened after they disappeared behind that solid wooden barrier. Of course it wouldn't be anything that the general would find new or unfamiliar, but his curiosity always peaked at the thought of the pair's beautiful bodies tangling together when left to their own devices. Hephaestion shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind of such thoughts before they affected his body. There was a state dinner tonight that would include nobles and envoys from a wide variety of territories; the general did not need to embarrass himself this evening.

Within Hephaestion's suite, the servants were preparing the bath for Oromedon and Bagoas. Ever since that first day of sword lessons, the two eunuchs had been bathing together whether or not the younger was feeling particularly amorous. Today, once the pair had seated themselves in the tub, Bagoas simply cuddled up to his former mentor and pillowed his head on Oromedon's broad chest. The elder eunuch wrapped his arms around the slim body resting against him and affectionately nuzzled the youth's thick mane of raven hair.

"I'm sorry, this must be so frustrating for you," Bagoas whispered, sending warm puffs of breath across Oromedon's chest.

"You don't have to apologize, Gazelle-Eyes," the healer sighed as he pulled the youth a little closer. The warm water was soothing to his tired muscles, but it compared little to the serenity of having Bagoas resting against him. "It hasn't even been a month yet, and due to your fever, it would feel like only a couple weeks have passed for you."

"I know you understand all of that, Oromedon, but I still feel bad for repeatedly getting you all worked up and then denying you the pleasure you want," Bagoas tilted his head back to press a consoling kiss to his beloved teacher's cheek. "I want it too, but I'm afraid of it."

"Just don't push yourself on my account. I would wait for you forever if I had to."

"Charming bastard," Bagoas gave a delicate snort before resting his head back on Oromedon's chest. "You're an angel, you know that? I decided that was true during our first time together, when you first began to show me just how different being a courtesan is compared to the prostitution my former master had forced me into. But I fear that even your seductive skills won't be enough now to get me to forget the hatred of those soldiers and how it fueled their lusts."

"Don't idolize me so, Gazelle-Eyes. It's unhealthy," Oromedon chided gently. "I'm only human and bound to fall short of such comparisons."

"Well, there must be some measure of divinity to you, just like Al'skander and Hephaestion, because you outshine all of the humanity I've come across just as they do," Bagoas shifted to wrap both arms about the elder eunuch's waist.

"Oh, Gazelle-Eyes," Oromedon gave a mournful sigh but could think of nothing to say that would bolster his former student's spirit. The youth had practically just admitted that he had found only three people in this world who could show true kindness. The younger eunuch had seen and felt too often the bite of betrayal during his short life, and as Oromedon realized this, he found himself utterly stunned that Bagoas was still such a considerate and affectionate individual. By all accounts, the youth should have closed himself off to the world by now.

"Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't just be easier if you would seduce me. I feel like I'm never going to get over my fear, like I'll never have the courage to initiate sex again, and I hate it," Bagoas nuzzled against the underside of Oromedon's chin, causing the healer to wrap his body about the youth in a shielding manner.

"No, Bagoas, I would never force you. Just give it some more time," the elder eunuch pressed a kiss to the youth's hair before hiding his face in the silky mass, not wanting his former student to see just how sad his words made him feel.

"But how much time do we honestly have, Oromedon? My body is healed except for the scars. How much longer will you be permitted to stay?" Bagoas sounded frightened even to his own ears. "Hephaestion knows we love each other. Surely he has told Al'skander by now. As Great King, why would he allow you to stay long enough for me to find my desire again?"

"But he has given you your freedom, has he not? Although you have frequented his bed and love him as well, why would Alexander punish you for finding comfort with another if you need it? Particularly if that someone is a fellow eunuch and your former teacher?" Oromedon tried to soothe the youth, despite the fact that his own heart was quelled under the weight of those same fears and worries.

Both eunuchs would have continued the conversation farther, but a servant knocked on the door to inform them that their dinner was ready. The pair broke apart and finally got around to the business of washing, only now realizing the water had grown cold. Bagoas was shivering by the time he climbed out of the bathtub, bringing him to the decision to wrap up in one of his warmer robes for the evening. Oromedon, however, simply pulled a blanket off the foot of the bed to drape around his shoulders while they ate.

After the heaviness of their interrupted conversation, both eunuchs kept silent during dinner by a mutual, unspoken agreement. Neither seemed willing to speak again for the rest of the night, fearing that their talk would return to depressing speculations about their future, a topic they didn't want to return to anytime soon. Bagoas spent much of the evening reading through the works of some Greek philosopher and playwright that Alexander had suggested to him. Oromedon, on the other hand, took some time to write letters that he hoped he would receive responses to before the waning autumn closed the messenger routes with high waters and early snows. Regardless of whether or not Alexander permitted him to remain in the king house, the healer wanted to procure some medicinal supplies that could not be found in this particular region before winter set in.

When the pair found that neither one of them could continue to focus on the written words on the pages before them, they both turned in for the night. As soon as they had slipped beneath the cool covers, Bagoas snuggled up to Oromedon's chest and clutched him tightly. The former mentor wrapped his own arms around the slender body of the youth and inhaled his light scent, working to commit it to memory. Both eunuchs felt the grip of fear and sorrow whispering that nights like this one were soon going to run out, and so they each lay awake for hours, not willing to allow unconsciousness to shorten their precious time together despite their increasing weariness. It wasn't until dawn's first glimmer of light cut through the shuttered windows that either one finally drifted with reluctance into sleep.

* * *

**End A/N: **So here ends chapter 08, and incase you haven't noticed, there will be at least one more chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter more than I hated writing it. (Why must some chapters just be plain difficult, particularly the necessary ones?)

Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you'll review! ~ Stony Knight


	9. The Family of the Divine Lion

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** The Family of the Divine Lion

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** Well, here's chapter 09. I hope you enjoy it. Enough said.

**Warnings:** eh, I don't know… nothing that hasn't been found in earlier chapters. There's nothing too harsh in this chapter though.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

* * *

Hephaestion called a halt to the sparring exercise as Bagoas stumbled for the sixth time since the day's lesson had begun. The general had noticed that both Oromedon and the youth had seemed uncharacteristically weary when they arrived at the small courtyard less than an hour ago, and he now began wondering just what had left the two so affected that they had lost sleep over it. He and Alexander had worked hard to ensure the eunuchs had their privacy in the general's suite until Bagoas was feeling up to going out in public again. With no uninvited visitors walking the corridors of the living quarters, this left very few possibilities as to what exactly had caused the pair enough worry and heartache to leave them restless all night.

"Before we go any farther today, may I ask what happened last night? It's as if neither one of you got any sleep at all," Hephaestion kept his voice gentle, not wanting either eunuch to feel as if an answer was being demanded from them. Oromedon and Bagoas shared a long glance before the younger of the pair turned back to the quiet general.

"We didn't sleep last night," the youth admitted timidly. Bagoas opened his mouth to say more but stopped himself with a shuddering breath. Hephaestion knew from the youth's face that it wasn't anything pleasant that had kept the pair awake.

"Bagoas, what is it? What's wrong?" Hephaestion stepped over to place a hand on the youth's shoulder when he realized Oromedon wasn't moving to comfort his friend. "Did you two have a quarrel or something?"

"No, not at all," Bagoas glanced up instantly with his glowing dark eyes. The general thought the young Persian might be holding back tears, but the mix of emotions he saw playing across the eunuch's face made him unsure.

"What's wrong then?" Hephaestion whispered as he began stroking Bagoas's hair. "Please tell me. I want to help you fix it, whatever it is, if I can."

Oromedon finally stepped over to them and draped an arm about his former student's shoulders.

"His body's nearly finished healing, Hephaestion," the elder eunuch pointed out in a soft, sad voice. "But he's still wounded in spirit. Alexander will be sending me away soon. You know we love each other, and I've no doubt you've told the king as much. If he knows, why would he risk allowing me to stay until Bagoas is ready for full physical love making again? Such relationships are forbidden to courtesans."

Hephaestion stared at Oromedon with confusion, his mind hearing and understanding the words but being unable to connect them to the pair of eunuchs. After a long moment of trying to speak, the general shook his head and took a step back from the two in an attempt to restart his mind.

"But you're a healer, Oromedon!" Hephaestion finally managed to force out. "And Alexander gave Bagoas his freedom long ago. Neither one of you is still a courtesan. It shouldn't matter who either of you has as a lover at this point."

Hephaestion began to pace about the courtyard in agitation, disturbed by the idea that both eunuchs seemed to think Alexander would continue to treat them as little better than sex slaves, even after all of the testimonies at the trial that spoke to the contrary. He had no idea from where or whom they had come up with this notion, and for some reason, it worried him greatly. Thinking Alexander would treat him as a courtesan could undermine Bagoas's continued healing, especially if he thought sex was the only purpose he had left to his life.

The two Persians watched the general moving restlessly across the space, cringing each time the man kicked up the sand with a frustrated grunt and not understanding what exactly had brought on this bout of agitation. Suddenly Hephaestion turned back to Oromedon and Bagoas and began speaking again, but his talk was so rough with his rising anger that it took the two a moment to comprehend the Greek words.

"What about Cassander and Leonatus? What about their promise to make you a Companion? Do you think Alexander controls all of our sex lives or something? Do you think he would place restrictions on you just because you were once a courtesan, that he would expect you to continue to live as a courtesan? He gave you your freedom! Does that mean _nothing_ to you, Bagoas?! What _does_ that mean to you, Bagoas?"

Hephaestion began pacing again, tugging at his hair as his anger faded back into anxiety and distress, bringing tears to his gentle blue eyes.

"I need to go talk to Alexander," the words were barely audible, but their message was clear enough as the general left the courtyard and headed towards the main hall where the king was having a relaxing afternoon with a few nobles and diplomats.

Bagoas turned frightened eyes up to Oromedon, unsure of what to make of Hephaestion's outburst. The youth hoped the man would not remain upset with him for long; he had grown to truly like the quiet general since he had discovered that Hephaestion considered him an ally. But he had never seen Hephaestion mad at anyone since they had first met, and so the young eunuch wasn't sure what to make of this unfamiliar state in his newly-discovered friend.

"Come, Gazelle-Eyes, I believe our sword lesson is over for the day," Oromedon whispered as he gathered his former student to his chest. The youth clutched at the elder eunuch and refused to moved until Oromedon was forced to pick him up, carrying him up to their shared rooms.

* * *

Alexander was startled when Hephaestion burst into the main hall. The general was obviously upset even to those who had never met him before. Brisk steps carried Hephaestion up to his beloved king without any sign of ceremony or respect, drawing raised eyebrows and offended glances from several of the nobles. Alexander ignored them for the time being, all of his attention focused on his clearly distraught lover.

"Hephaestion? What's…" but the general cut off the king's words as he stepped up to whisper in Alexander's ear.

"We need to tell them, Alexander. We need to ask Oromedon to stay now," Hephaestion's bright eyes were damp with tears, frightening his beloved king with worries over what had just transpired in the training courtyard.

"Hephaestion, tell me what's wrong. What's happened?" Alexander demanded in a whisper, keeping his voice low enough so as not to be overheard.

"They didn't sleep last night, because they're scared to death that you'll be sending Oromedon away soon. Both of them seem to believe that you still think of Bagoas as a courtesan despite all the testimonies and all of your actions that speak to the contrary! I don't know how to convince them otherwise if they don't believe it by now," Hephaestion was gripping onto Alexander's sleeve in his agitation, worrying at the material like a frightened child, his voice rough with emotion.

Alexander reached up with his free hand to weave his fingers into his lover's tangled hair, trying to soothe the man enough to get him to regain control of himself. The king never said a word, only stared into Hephaestion's eyes, and slowly his emotions drained away. With a soft sob, the handsome general finally fell to a sitting position at his lover's feet and buried his face in Alexander's lap. The king continued to run his fingers through his beloved general's glossy mane as he finally looked back to the nobles and diplomats gathered around them.

"My apologies, but I really need to go and take care of this now. I hope you'll continue to enjoy the flute players and the conversation without me," Alexander stood up then and gathered Hephaestion up with him. With an arm wrapped firmly about his lover's waist, the king steered the both of them out of the main hall and towards the stairway.

"I'm sorry, Alexander. I know we had both agreed that this should be made into special occasion for them when you finally asked Oromedon to stay, but I can't stand the idea of them losing sleep over this," Hephaestion whispered as he pressed closer to his beloved king.

"It's alright, Hephaestion. We should have set aside the time for this sooner once we had decided on it last week. It's my fault, really, for wanting to make it a public announcement," Alexander tried to soothe his general a little more before turning his thoughts to Bagoas and Oromedon.

Before they knew it, the two lovers found themselves outside the doors to Hephaestion's suite. The king knocked softly and then slipped inside the common room of the suite with his general beside him. Neither eunuch was present in the common room, but in the utter quiet of the space, sobbing could be heard emanating from the bed chamber. Its door was ajar, and so Alexander nudged the wooden barrier open a little farther, peaking in at the bed where the two Persians were huddled.

Bagoas sat cross-legged in the center of the wide bed, his face hidden by his hands as he wept. Oromedon knelt beside the youth, holding him and rocking him in silence, but Alexander could easily see falling tears gleaming on the healer's face as well. Slowly the king pushed the door completely open and slipped over to the bed. Both eunuchs stared at him, shivering with fear but unable to move away from either the man or from each other. Moving as if he were afraid the two might flee at any moment, Alexander joined Oromedon and Bagoas on the bed and carefully gathered the pair into his arms, shushing them gently.

"Hephaestion tells me that both of you are afraid that I'll be sending Oromedon away soon, but I'm telling you now that neither of you has anything you need to fear," Alexander hummed softly to the beloved eunuchs. "Hephaestion and I had talked about this last week and came to a decision on the matter. We had been hoping to wait until you felt up to going out in public, Bagoas, in order to resolve this issue, but it seems that your fears won't let it wait until then. And so…"

Alexander beckoned his beloved general to join the three of them on the bed. Hephaestion quickly positioned himself on the opposite side of the bed from where his lover sat, wrapping his own arms about Bagoas and Oromedon as well.

"Oromedon, we would like to ask you to stay on with us, to become a permanent part of our family," Alexander announced, looking hopefully into the healer's eyes. Oromedon stared at the king for a long time, not believing what his ears were hearing.

"I don't understand. Why would you want me to be here, especially in light of the fact that Bagoas and I love each other?"

"Well, in regard to how your presence would relate to us, you come from the same background as Bagoas," Hephaestion began explaining. "You understand the workings of Persian court intrigue better than Alexander and I ever will. There will be times when Alexander and I have to part ways as we continue moving across these lands, but Bagoas is only one person. We need another who has his particular expertise. We would like that person to be you, Oromedon."

"But beyond that," Alexander chimed in once his lover fell silent, "we both feel that Bagoas needs to have you around. Hephaestion and I can be his friends – I can be his lover - and we can listen when he needs to talk, but when it comes to being a true confidant, only you have the shared experiences and understanding to truly support him in the midst of this chaos we call a military campaign. Besides, you're his first love. I would never wish to be so cruel or hypocritical as to deny him your presence when I have Hephaestion around, who is my first love."

"So you really mean it, you really want me to stay?" Oromedon glanced between the king and his beloved general.

"Very much so," Hephaestion whispered. "Please?"

"Please stay," Alexander repeated.

Oromedon finally looked to Bagoas, "I'll stay forever, then, if it means I can be with my sweetest Gazelle-Eyes."

Alexander and Hephaestion both jumped at the two eunuchs with whoops of joy, crushing the pair in a massive hug. Bagoas let out a startled squeak as he found himself trapped between three laughing bodies, but soon joined in with his own giggles as he nuzzled happily against Oromedon's chest. Eventually the four friends found themselves stretched out on Hephaestion's bed, cuddled comfortably together to enjoy the simple peace of being with each other.

"You know, Hephaestion and I had been planning on asking you to stay while we were all in some public area, Oromedon," Alexander sighed out before a wicked grin overtook his face. "We've been worried you'd say no because of your duties as a healer, so we were hoping an audience would add enough pressure to get you to say yes."

"If I have the choice, I'll never give up Bagoas again," Oromedon replied, nuzzling the younger eunuch's hair sleepily. "Despite having constant reminders of my own station always around me, I did end up loosing my heart to him during his training. It was the first time I had ever failed to control my own emotions, and it was the last time I ever agreed to train another courtesan. I've missed him dearly all of these years."

"I believe the other Companions will also be happy to hear of your decision, Oromedon," Hephaestion propped himself up on an elbow so he could see over the healer's shoulder. "Cassander, Leonatus, Nearchus, and Ptolemy have been asking after Bagoas every day, and none of them fail to make mention of you in their queries. I'm willing to bet they'll want you joining in on our councils too before long."

"If that's the case, then I think you can tell them to start planning that feast they've been wanting to hold for me," Bagoas grinned up at the general before turning to firmly kiss his beloved Oromedon. "I find that I'm most definitely in a mood to celebrate now."

"We all are, Gazelle-Eyes," the elder eunuch offered the youth another quick kiss. "But for right now, I'm thinking we have some sleep to catch up on."

Bagoas nodded agreement. Behind him, Alexander moved to get up, to leave the pair to sleep in peace, but the youth reached out and grabbed the king's wrist.

"You and Hephaestion stay with us? Please?" Alexander smiled down at the pleading look Bagoas gave him.

"Of course," the golden Macedonian replied as he snuggled back into place beside his younger lover. On Bagoas's other side, Oromedon was urging Hephaestion to snuggle up behind him, and the quiet general willingly complied, nuzzling against the nape of the elder eunuch's neck. Finally settled, the four fell asleep together, at last content and at peace with each other.

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**End A/N:** So ends chapter 09. I'm thinking I'll add a bonus chapter in a few days, once I get it written up. I hope you've enjoyed this story and that you'll read my future Alexander fanfics as well!

Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated! ~ Stony Knight


	10. Victory

**Story Title:** Lovers of the Divine Lion

**Chapter Title:** Victory

**Summary:** When Bagoas is kidnapped and raped, an unlikely rescuer turns into an even more unlikely friend.

**A/N:** This is the final chapter of this story. (It's also a bonus chapter!) I hope you've enjoyed this little fanfiction of mine and that you'll consider checking out some of my other stories. And yes, many of them will include Bagoas as a main character!

**Warnings:** There is the death of an animal in this story. All non-vegetarians, you have no excuses for flinching at this. After all, your burgers, steaks, and fried chicken were once all alive too!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Renault's or Stone's work. Again, I'm just borrowing their characters & interpretations for a little while.

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The worst of the winter weather had come and gone. Now the first whispers of spring could be felt in the newly-warmed winds, and with the melting of the snow, the army's seasonal lethargy was also melting away. However, the mountain passes were still clogged with late avalanches and springtime floods. Alexander's great army would not be going anywhere soon.

Bagoas urged his horse forward as he heard Ptolemy and Leonatus give a frustrated shout from the woods ahead of him. The Companions, growing restless with their own pent-up energy, had organized a boar hunt after hearing reports of the wild herds causing damage to local farm property. As the late winter weather continued to delay the growth of spring food sources, the wild boars were becoming bolder and more dangerous to humans and livestock alike.

Both Bagoas and Oromedon had been invited to join the hunt, the Companions having been counting them as members of their council since the youth's recovery in late autumn. Eagerly the two eunuchs had readily agreed to participate in the outing, needing to burn off their own cabin fever, but both had then been startled when Ptolemy had handed each of them hunting spears before setting out this morning. Familiar with Persian-style hunting trips where only the king was to take down game, neither eunuch had thought to ask about Greek and Macedonian hunting customs beforehand. Seeing the pair's confusion, Ptolemy had taken time to explain the day's plans while they rode out from the large town to the surrounding forest.

Typically the Companions would drive game towards the king and spear only the animals that remained once Alexander had taken his chosen target. Today, however, due to the damage and fear their quarry was causing, Alexander had chosen to join the driving line while they forced the wild boars towards a rock face to trap them. The Companions would be permitted to spear any sows they wanted at any time, but once the king had taken his boar, all hogs would be fair game to the line of men.

Alexander had taken his boar early, and now the men were working to take out the largest of the herd members who would be most dangerous to the local farmers and their families. Many of the beasts had scattered at the rock face after the commotion of the first kill and were now rampaging through the woods. As Bagoas finally caught up to Ptolemy and Leonatus, he noted that the latter's horse had a nasty tusk wound to one of its rear legs. Although he had been thrown by his frightened steed, Leonatus appeared to be alright and was trying to calm his injured war charger.

"A large boar, it went that way," Ptolemy pointed, urging Bagoas after the animal. "It's an old survivor, scarred up but highly intelligent, so be careful!"

The eunuch nodded his understanding before turning his horse in the direction the wild boar had fled. Bagoas could easily make out his quarry's trail in the mixture of snow and mud before him, and he urged his horse to a canter as the trees dwindled down to scrubland and then an open field. To his right, he spotted several other Companions out of the corner of his eye; they were on the tails of a large sow and two younger boars.

But Bagoas's target was standing now in the center of the field, directly in front of him. The old boar had spun around to face his horse head on, and the eunuch worried briefly about his mount's safety. However, his little stallion caught scent of the hog and the blood still on its tusks and gave an angry neigh that vibrated through his master's body. Bagoas clung to his horse's mane as the young stallion lunged forward and began striking out with its hooves. The boar squealed and jolted sideways, not having expected the stallion to attack him. As his mount's anger increased, Bagoas realized he wouldn't be able to regain control of the horse until this little battle ended, and so he lowered the blade of his spear to attempt to fend off the sharp tusks of the boar from his stallion's striking legs.

The boar, however, proved to be just as intelligent as Ptolemy had claimed; the angered hog spun around to the opposite side of Bagoas's steed to avoid the eunuch's spear. The horse's muscles bunched tightly together before he sprung forward again, bringing his right fore hoof down like a hammer at the boar's head. The stallion missed his quick-moving target. But as the beast darted forward to gore the offending leg, Bagoas's steed managed to capture the hog's bristly ear in his powerful jaws, halting its oncoming motion.

The eunuch, by this time, had managed to swing his spear over his stallion's neck to their right side and stabbed at the boar who was still caught by the ear. Their quarry gave a deafening squeal as it was struck and threw its head up, nicking the stallion's cheek with a sharp tusk. The counterattack only caused the horse to bite down harder and throw up his own head, severing the wild boar's ear. The spear was nearly ripped from Bagoas's hand as the animals broke apart, but thanks to Hephaestion's sword training, he instinctively remembered how to twist his arm to regain control of the weapon.

The wild boar turned to run off again, the loss of its ear causing it to loose its nerve as well, but it soon discovered itself surrounded. Several of the other Companions had ridden out to the middle of the field where Bagoas and his steed had engaged with their quarry. Among them were Oromedon, Hephaestion, and Alexander. The youth only took note of the shapes of horses ringing the area, however, as determination to take down this dangerous boar before it hurt someone else became the only thought in his mind.

As the boar turned once again to face its pursuers, Bagoas stabbed at it again, driving his spear into the soft place just above its collarbone. The beast screamed its fury one more time, trying to charge forward towards horse and rider but only succeeding in driving the spear point deeper into its body. The boar bit at the shaft of the lethal weapon, cracking it, but the damage came too late to save its life. The spear point had been driven deep enough to tear into a lung and a main artery. The wild boar soon bled to death, coughing up blood that had leaked into its punctured lung.

With his quarry finally slain, Bagoas let go of the ruined hunting spear and quickly dismounted; his only thoughts now were of his horse and the injuries it had sustained. The youth caringly ran his hands over his little stallion's forelegs, one at a time, checking for wounds caused either by the boar's tusks or by striking out with such force with his hooves. The eunuch gave a relieved sigh when he found no signs of torn flesh, strained ligaments, or cracked hooves. Bagoas then turned his attention to the wound to his horse's lower cheek. Luckily, the tear proved to be shallow once the blood was wiped away with a handful of clean snow. The youth laughed as his steed nuzzled against his chest before finally spitting out the boar's ear into his master's hand.

"Do you have a name for such a fierce little stallion?" called one of the men surrounding Bagoas and his kill. The young Persian looked up to recognize Cassander as the speaker.

The youth grinned before answering with embarrassment, "I named him Lion, because I hoped it would give him courage. Now I'm thinking he may have too much."

"No, I think he has just enough courage," shouted Perdiccas from the other side of the circle, "just enough to match his master. Congratulations on killing your boar!"

A chorus of praise and additional congratulations went up from all sides of Bagoas, causing the youth to blush, but he raised his head high anyway, greeting the Companions and his friends with a beaming smile. And he couldn't help but think of just how far he'd come, going from a virtual sex slave prostituted out by his first master to a favored courtesan in Darius's household to now being one of Alexander's great loves and closest advisors, only outranked in both areas by Hephaestion, which is how it should be. And now he had killed his first boar, a sign of gaining his manhood which he thought had been stolen from him completely.

That night the victorious hunters feasted on their slain quarry, eight sows and six boars in all. The Companions toasted to Bagoas and his brave little stallion repeatedly, many proclaiming that it was an unjust fate that such fierceness had been forced to serve in Darius's bed instead of his army. The youth laughed along with the half-drunken men as jokes began flying, declaring that the eunuch would have made a better warrior than his former master who fled in fear at the smallest sign of trouble. Bagoas had learned by now how to handle the Macedonians' style of drunken revelry in stride, joining in with the raucous shouting and merrymaking without embarrassment.

Finally though, the young Persian managed to excuse himself and stumbled off to bed. He and Oromedon were still lodging in Hephaestion's suite, but Bagoas and the general would often trade sleeping space in regard to the moods of their lovers. And indeed it was lovers, plural, for both of them now. Sometime during the winter, Hephaestion had sought out Oromedon's physical company while Bagoas and Alexander had been sharing a bed. At first, the general had been ashamed of his infidelity, but when Alexander finally weaseled a confession out of his blue-eyed lover, he had been delighted by the new dynamic in the relationship between Hephaestion and Oromedon. The king had declared that it would work towards building trust not only between the elder eunuch and his general but also between himself and Oromedon as well. Alexander said it would also help to ease his mind on the issue of sending Hephaestion off on his own to stop rebellions and develop peace treaties if he knew Oromedon would be working to protect the beloved general out of his own affection as well as duty.

This night, however, Bagoas found himself joined by king, general, and healer, all three eventually curling up in the same bed as the youth in the early dawn hours. Oromedon settled on one side of his former student, while Alexander took up the space on the other side, and Hephaestion snuggled up behind the king.

"I'm so happy for you, Bagoas. You really showed the Companions what you're made of today," Alexander whispered as he drew the young eunuch into his arms. "Those who saw you take down that boar this afternoon will never tolerate anyone belittling you again. And you held to your horse so well. Half of the cavalry men would have been thrown by that little stallion's bucking and jolting when he was after that boar. And yet you stuck to him like scales to a fish!"

"It was nothing, Al'skander. Dancers must have good balance and command of their bodies. Anyone who has undergone such training should have been able to stay seated on my little horse," Bagoas was glad for the darkness that hid his blush from the king. The youth had become quite overwhelmed by the amount of praise he had received this day.

In the dim backlighting of the night candle, Bagoas saw Hephaestion sit up to peak over Alexander's shoulder.

"Don't tell him that, Bagoas! He'll make the entire cavalry take dance lessons!" there was amused laughter in the general's gentle voice. "And I don't think any of us want to see Cleitus in one of those little spangled loincloths that you often perform in. The soldiers would rebel under the claim of being forced to endure cruel and unusual punishment at the sight of that!"

"Dear gods, they'd gouge their eyes out!" Alexander gasped in mock dismay. "How would I ever manage to conquer the world with a blind army?"

"Well, if nothing else, they'd never retreat, because they'd never know which way to run," Hephaestion giggled as he lay back down, nuzzling against the nape of Alexander's neck. The king gave a contented sigh as he too grew quiet and relaxed.

"Even if the entire cavalry had Bagoas's riding skills, they would accomplish little without the three of you. Truly you are the beating heart that drives this force, for without you, I would be lost," Alexander whispered into the darkness. "And yes, Oromedon, you too have already contributed to this army through everything you've ever done for Bagoas."

"And I look forward to serving you further. I have never met a man more deserving of loyalty, Alexander," Oromedon sighed out from behind his former student. Bagoas felt his two lovers clasp each others arms over his waist and smiled to himself. Never had he imagined that two individuals could love the same person and then find love for each other through that central figure.

"Without love, all victories would be worthless. With love, every challenge faced can become a victory, no matter what the outcome," in the coming years, Bagoas took heart from those whispered words that came from his beloved Alexander, knowing they would always bring him greater strength than any weapon or social ranking every could. Love gave him life.

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**End A/N:** So that's that! I know this chapter was a little short, but I have ideas in my head for a new Bagoas fic already. Once again, I hope you enjoyed this story. Thank you for reading! And as always, reviews and comments are appreciated!

Thanks again! ~ Stony Knight


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